A Thai woman has been arrested in Taiwan after allegedly swallowing 72 heroin-filled capsules to smuggle the drug into the island, according to Radio Taiwan International (RTI).
The woman, identified only as Ms. A, was arrested at Kaohsiung International Airport on 6 April after investigators received information that a foreign national was suspected of smuggling drugs into Taiwan by concealing them in luggage or inside her body, RTI reported.
Authorities said the woman had swallowed 72 oval-shaped capsules containing a total of 289.1 grams of heroin, with an estimated street value of about NT$3.6 million.
The capsules were tightly wrapped in plastic. Investigators said the method posed a serious risk to her life because if the outer wrapping were damaged by stomach acid, the heroin could leak into her body.
She was taken to hospital, where authorities administered medication to help her pass the capsules naturally. It took 10 days for all 72 capsules to be recovered, according to RTI.
The woman, who works as a Muay Thai instructor, was placed under close 24-hour supervision during the process because of her physical strength, authorities said.
She has since been handed over for prosecution under Taiwan’s drug control laws. The Kaohsiung Prosecutors Office has filed the case with the court, which ordered her detention while legal proceedings continue.