Customs authorities at Beijing Capital International Airport (BCIA) recently apprehended a foreign citizen who smuggled 123 cocaine pills weighing a total of 1,580.44 grams by concealing them inside his body. Photo: General Administration of Customs

Customs authorities at Beijing Capital International Airport (BCIA) recently apprehended a foreign citizen who smuggled 123 cocaine pills weighing a total of 1,580.44 grams by concealing them inside his body. This is the largest case of body-packing drug smuggling intercepted during travel inspection by Beijing customs in the past five years, according to the WeChat account of the General Administration of Customs on Friday. 

During routine monitoring of inbound flights, customs officers in BCIA identified the individual, a male foreign passenger, as suspicious due to his nervous demeanor and lack of any declared goods. Further questioning and examination led officers to suspect body-packing drug smuggling.

During the on-site investigation, the suspect excreted four cylindrical objects wrapped in white plastic and rubber film, which initial tests confirmed as cocaine. Following his transfer to the Anti-Smuggling Bureau, the suspect was taken to a designated medical facility for further monitoring and detoxification. Over the following hours, he excreted additional drug capsules, which were later confirmed by a professional laboratory to contain high-purity cocaine.

Body-packing is a common method of drug smuggling, involving the swallowing of drug capsules wrapped in plastic film. However, such methods pose severe health risks as stomach acid can corrode the wrapping, causing leakage or rupture, leading to acute poisoning and potentially death. This method of smuggling also contributes to violent crime and other societal problems, seriously undermining public safety and social stability, said the General Administration of Customs.

Customs authorities remind the public that, under Article 347 of China's Criminal Law, "Whoever smuggles, traffics in, transports, or manufactures narcotic drugs, regardless of the quantity involved, shall be held criminally responsible and subjected to criminal punishment." Offenders face severe penalties, including lengthy imprisonment or even the death penalty.

Global Times