Armenia Arrests Brazilian Smuggler With $300,000 Worth Of Cocaine In Stomach

YEREVAN (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th September, 2021) A Brazilian citizen, who arrived in the Armenian capital on a flight from Sao Paulo with a stopover in Doha, has been arrested at the Yerevan airport for smuggling $300,000 worth of cocaine in his stomach, the country's State Revenue Committee said on Tuesday.

"Officers of the anti-smuggling department of the State Revenue Committee decided to inspect a Brazilian citizen who arrived at the Zvartnots airport in Yerevan. He was escorted to a medical facility. A CT scan and further medical inspection revealed that he had smuggled 80 capsules of cocaine with a total weight of 746 grams from Brazil to Armenia," the customs authority said in a statement.

The smuggler faced significant risks due to the possibility of a capsule rupture during his 24-hour flight, which could lead to an overdose and death, the committee noted.

The Brazilian national was arrested and a criminal case for "smuggling narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and (or) their precursors" was initiated. The investigation is underway.

The cost of the smuggled drugs on the country's black market is estimated at about $300,000, according to the committee.