Asian on transit jailed over drug smuggling bid

Doha

An Asian transit traveller has been sentenced to five years in jail, a fine of QR200,000 and subsequent deportation for an attempt to smuggle 133 capsules of cocaine inside his stomach, local Arabic daily Arrayah has  reported. The convict, who was transiting Doha on the way to Brazil, had appealed the ruling of the Court of the First Instance, but the Court of Appeal upheld the verdict. The traveller was noted by the airport security officials because of his suspicious behaviour and his apparent perplexity and fear, which seemed abnormal. Also, his belly had a strange shape. Accordingly, he was taken for a medical check-up, and an X-ray revealed the presence of many capsules, which he had swallowed, inside his stomach. Surgically extracted later, the capsules, which were confirmed to contain cocaine, weighed 988gms in total. The convicted admitted that an unidentified person got him to carry the illicit drug to Brazil in exchange for $2,000.