South African nabbed with heroin

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