A man posing as an airline pilot has been arrested after police allegedly found 22lbs (10kg) of cocaine strapped to his body before he boarded an international flight.
The suspect was detained at El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá, Colombia, after officers reportedly became suspicious of his behaviour.
Police say the foreign national had dressed in a commercial pilot’s uniform and identified himself as a member of an international flight crew in an apparent bid to avoid attracting attention.
He was due to board a flight to Barcelona, Spain, when anti-narcotics officers stopped him, as reported by Need To Know.
A video released on social media, which has been viewed almost 98,000 times on X, shows officers searching the suspect after he was detained.
The footage shows police cutting away white wrapping from around the man’s torso before removing several brick-shaped packages allegedly taped to his body.
Authorities said a more detailed inspection using specialised body-scanning equipment revealed he was concealing multiple packages underneath his clothing.
Officers allegedly recovered five rectangular packages and a specially adapted belt containing cocaine hydrochloride.
The total haul weighed around 10 kilograms (22lbs).
The man was arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking and handed over to the relevant judicial authorities.
Police believe he was attempting to exploit the authority associated with a pilot’s uniform to pass through airport security without arousing suspicion.
Investigators are now working to establish whether the suspect was acting alone or as part of a wider international drug trafficking network.
According to Colombia’s Anti-Narcotics Police, the arrest stopped almost 25,000 doses of cocaine from reaching international markets and dealt a significant financial blow to organised crime groups.
The force said the suspect was intercepted before boarding the aircraft, bringing the alleged smuggling attempt to an end.
