An alleged drug mule apprehended by police on Sunday at OR Tambo International Airport has been found with 'bullets' in his stomach, believed to contain cocaine.Image: Supplied

Drug mule rushed to hospital after passing 117 'bullets' of cocaine

The man from Paraguay was caught at OR Tambo International Airport on Sunday after a medical examination found suspicious objects in his body

by · SowetanLIVE

An alleged drug mule arrested at OR Tambo International Airport on Sunday with “bullets” of cocaine in his stomach was taken to hospital on Monday due to health complications.

The 43-year-old man from Paraguay was arrested at the airport after a flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Deputy national commissioner responsible for policing Lt-Gen Tebello Mosikili said the man had passed about 117 drug “bullets”, each weighing about 10g.

“That is a huge amount for a person to consume.

“Every time a bullet came out, it came with traces of blood, which is an indication that there is a medical challenge in the stomach.

“He has been rushed to hospital after a health complication. The releasing process has been stopped.”

This was the 14th drug mule arrested in recent weeks at the Johannesburg airport.

Mosikili said: “It is not safe to swallow bullets. The risk is that a bullet might rupture in the body. There is also a possibility of the bullets exploding and when they explode, it's an instant life loss.”

TimesLIVE