Drug exportation and trafficking charges have been recommended against a man who allegedly tried to board a flight to Australia with a belly full of cocaine.
Last month, during routine outbound currency checks, border services officers at the Vancouver International Airport noticed inconsistencies in the statements of a man headed to Sydney, Australia, so they decided to refer him for a more thorough examination.
Officers then suspected he may have swallowed some drugs. The man was arrested and escorted to a hospital, where he eventually expelled 42 condoms filled with what border services officers believe to be liquid cocaine. The seized drugs had a weight of 1.26 kilograms.
Once doctors confirmed no more drugs remained in the man's system, he and the drugs were transferred into Richmond RCMP custody.
Charge recommendations were forwarded to Crown about a week after the incident. Police would not release the man's name or any information about him Thursday.
"This seizure highlights the vigilance of our border services officers, as their training and experience led them to intercept a significant amount of suspected illegal drugs, even when such drastic concealment methods were used," said Ken Macpherson, acting director for the Canada Border Services Agency, Vancouver International Airport District, in a news release.
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