Police in Manchester, United Kingdom, have arrested a Nigerian man for swallowing £80, 000 worth of cocaine.
The man the police identified as Benjamin Nwaogwugwu said he was made to swallow the illicit drug by some Colombian drug lords in South America, before he flew to Paris on his way back to the United Kingdom.
The 43-year-old met his waterloo when he was sighted by the police at the airport contorting his face in pain, while pretending to be a Liverpool fan returning to the UK from the Champions League defeat on 28 May.
The police said it took days for Mr. Benjamin to defecate the drugs from his body, but eventually he did. Police, after examining 19 bags, found out that the cocaine had a purity level of 89%.
He also told police that he has three children with his wife back in Nigeria, where some persons threatened to harm his family if he deviated from transporting the drug.
“The defendant was told if he did not do this, he and his family would be harmed and was threatened. There was a total of 100 packages but the defendant could only swallow 79 and was vomiting blood so had to stop. He was taken to the airport and flown back to France, then onto Manchester,” a statement detailing his plea reads.
“The defendant was under significant pressure to commit this offence but accepts this was not duress. The defendant did not stand to profit financially from this activity.”
He was arrested on June 1, 2022, and sentenced to a four years and two months jail term after he pleaded guilty to cocaine importation.
Tina Landale, the presiding judge said in her ruling, “Up to now, you had been making a positive contribution to the community and it is clear you are a man of good character and that you care for your family. However, this is an extremely serious offence and there must be a deterrence to prevent criminals from taking on these types of crimes.”
