A Kenyan national was on Sunday arrested in India for carrying banned substance in his tummy.

Customs officials at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, said they arrested the male suspect who had arrived in the Indian capital while trying to smuggle cocaine worth KSh186 million (Rs. 12,33,00,000, $1.44 million).

An official statement said the suspect was first apprehended after arriving at the airport from Nairobi on December 17, 2024, via Air India flight AI 962.

Indian customs officials at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport said on Sunday they had first noticed an unusual style of movement from the passenger on arrival before they monitored his ways.

“The Gait and movement of the Pax (passenger) was unusual and sensing his unusual behaviour, Customs Officers maintained a vigil over him,” officials at IGI Airport in New Delhi said.

He was intercepted and placed in custody by customs officials after crossing the Green Channel and attempting to leave the terminal in a hurry.

During questioning, the passenger admitted to having ingested capsules containing narcotics.

“He voluntarily cooperated with the authorities and he was taken to New Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital for a medical procedure to extract the hidden items,” officials added.

Under expert medical supervision, authorities said he was able to excrete 77 capsules.

Laboratory tests later confirmed the substance was cocaine, weighing a total of 822 grams.

In India, cocaine is among banned substances and transporting or selling it is illegal.

Penalties often vary depending on the amount a trafficker is found with. They include up to 6 months in jail or a fine when found with less than a kilo to more than 20 years in jail with a fine if found with what authorities can assess as a “commercial quantity.”