The zonal unit of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Monday arrested a Nigerian national in Mumbai for allegedly supplying cocaine in the city, an official said.

The accused, Ifeamyichukwu Pius, was charged with possessing 12 pellets of cocaine when he was caught roaming near a five-star hotel in Juhu for the delivery of the contraband.

When the NCB team approached Pius, he swallowed the drugs concealed in mini plastic capsules weighing approximately 1 gram each.

“This is the first time where a peddler was found carrying drugs in his mouth and distributing them. In such circumstances, it becomes very difficult for law enforcement agencies to ascertain the accused’s involvement and make an instant recovery” said Sameer Wankhede, IRS, Zonal Director NCB Mumbai.

According to sources, the peddler was taken to Sir JJ Hospital, where an X-Ray and CT Scan was conducted. The medical examination confirmed the cocaine pallets in his abdominal area. The accused was placed under medical supervision, subsequently purged 12 capsules, and was later discharged from the hospital.

NCB’s probe team says an investigation is in progress to identify his other associates.