Cambodian authorities last week arrested an alleged drug mule attempting to smuggle cocaine into the Kingdom by hiding it in his stomach.


South African national Blignaut Chan, 26, was seized on September 13 at Phnom Penh International Airport in a joint operation between the National Authority for Combating Drugs (NACD), Customs Department and immigration officers, according to NACD spokesman Meas Virith. 


Virith said a scan at the airport revealed Chan had 59 packets of cocaine in his stomach, weighing about 759 grams.

The official said the suspect had allegedly flown from Brazil via Dubai.


“Now, the suspect is in custody … and [with] specialised medics in order to discharge the drugs out of his body,” Virith said.

“This is the second case in which the authorities have intercepted cross-border drug trafficking with suspects who have hidden the drugs in their stomach.”


The previous case occurred on September 9 when authorities intercepted a Venezuelan woman at the Siem Reap airport who was found to have ingested about a kilo of cocaine.