South African nabbed with heroin

MEDAN, North Sumatra: The Medan Customs Office arrested a South African on Saturday for trying to smuggle heroin into the country.

Okonkwo, 29, was arrested on Saturday morning after the plane he boarded in Kuala Lumpur landed at Polonia Airport in Medan.

Ayub Yusuf, a customs officer, said Okonkwo appeared pale upon entering the airport arrival hall, arousing the suspicion of customs officers, who took him to nearby Elizabeth Hospital for an X-ray.

Sixty-five capsules were discovered in his stomach, for which he was give medication to make them pass through his system.

By 3 p.m. he had passed only one capsule containing 1.1 grams of heroin.

Last year, another African, Josep Karanja, was arrested for attempting to smuggle heroin in his stomach into the country. He was later sentenced to 15 years in prison. -- JP