Man ‘with 1kg of cocaine wrapped around his waist’ arrested in Dubai airport

A 30-year-old transit passenger was arrested with more than a kilogram of cocaine wrapped around his waist, Dubai Criminal Court heard on Sunday.

Nigerian E P was arrested in Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport on December 19 last year.

He was charged with attempting to carry 50 capsules of cocaine through Dubai to Nigeria. E P confessed to the charge in court.

Prosecutors said a police officer suspected E P and requested his passport.

“When I asked him for an identification document, he became tense, therefore I requested him to accompany me to the inspection room,” said policeman A H, 60.

He said E P refused to undress in the inspection room. “The area around his waist was bloated, but he refused to uncover it,” said A H, who called a major at the anti-narcotics office in the airport.

E P was searched and when his trousers were lowered, police found 1.18kg of cocaine hidden inside capsules wrapped around his waist.

“When we asked him about the drugs, he said it was cocaine and that he was taking them to Nigeria after he brought them from Brazil,” said A H.

E P awaits a verdict on April 5.