Story By: Ana Lacasa, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Newsflash

A 30-year-old drug mule has been arrested in Tenerife airport after he was found to have swallowed 94 capsules containing over 1 kilogramme of heroin.

The passenger, who lives in Italy, was arrested at Tenerife Norte airport in, on the island of Tenerife in the southwestern Spanish region of the Canary Islands, a popular tourist destination for Brits.

The Spanish Civil Guard reported in a statement that the man was questioned after getting off a flight which had stopped off in mainland Spain before reaching Tenerife and he reportedly acted nervously.

Officers then found he was giving contradictory answers when asked for the reason behind his trip and he was taken to the Canary University Hospital for radiological tests with his consent.

The tests came back positive for drugs and doctors found he had seemingly swallowed 94 plastic-wrapped capsules containing 1.35 kilogrammes (2.97 lbs) of heroin which could be worth around 45,000 EUR (40,277 GBP).

The capsules were expelled, although the exact method for the expulsion was not divulged but the man did not undergo surgery.

A mobile phone and 235 EUR (210 GBP) in cash were also seized by the authorities, the press release obtained by Newsflash said.

The man was taken to an instructional court from where he was sent to provisional prison for crimes against public health.

A Spanish Civil Guard spokeswoman told Newsflash that “it was a huge risk for his health having such a large amount of drugs in his body”.

The ViralTab page is created by and dedicated to professional, independent freelance journalists. It is a place for us to showcase our work. When our news is sold to our media partners, we will include the link here.