Another man charged with smuggling drugs in his stomach

A 32-year-old Nigerian national was yesterday remanded in custody after pleading not guilty to importing cocaine and heroin on Wednesday afternoon.

Magistrate Miriam Hayman heard Joseph Feilazoo deny conspiring to import, importing and possession of cocaine and heroin in circumstances which denote it was not for his personal use. In a statement earlier yesterday, the Customs Department said that Mr Feilazoo had arrived on a Clickair flight from Spain.

He was stopped and had his luggage searched as he was about to leave the lounge through the nothing-to-declare Green Channel.

Although nothing was found in his luggage, suspicious officers carried out a body search which indicated he could be carrying something in his stomach.

The suspect was accompanied to Mater Dei Hospital where an X-Ray showed up a number of capsules in his stomach, the Customs Department said.

Taking into consideration the seriousness of the charges, Magistrate Hayman remanded Mr Feilazoo in custody.

Police Inspector Victor Aquilina prosecuted.

Last Sunday, another Nigerian, Agboola Remilekun Komorudeen, 45, was charged in court with importing heroin and cocaine by ingesting drug-filled capsules. As in the first case, the capsules showed up on an X-Ray.