To do this, the 27-year-old swallowed a total of 124 pellets sealed in plastic film. The illegal cargo is said to have been worth around CHF 316,000.
But her nervousness threw a spanner in the works: Customs investigators became aware of the Austrian – and didn’t let go. After an initial investigation, the criminal was taken to a hospital. When the X-rays were taken, the officials finally discovered the drugs in her abdomen.
According to the Australian Federal Police, it took two days for the pellets to be expelled. But the smuggler had to excrete eight pellets on the flight from Europe to Australia. But that didn’t bother the Austrian – she swallowed the capsules again without further ado.
Transporting cocaine in this way could have been deadly for the 27-year-old. This is because the capsules can burst. So she was under medical supervision. The woman faces up to 25 years in prison if she is found guilty of attempting to smuggle.