A 39-year-old Brazilian man was arrested for drug trafficking in a joint operation by police and customs officers at Hong Kong International Airport on Saturday.
Acting on a tip, officers waited for the man at the airport arrival hall but could not find any illegal drugs in his suitcase, Oriental Daily reported. However, the man felt unwell and was sent to hospital, as officers suspected he had hidden the illegal drugs inside his body.
It was understood that the man flew from Brazil to Ethiopia before coming to Hong Kong.
After being detained for 10 hours, the suspect excreted 38 condoms containing 1.4 kilograms of suspected liquid cocaine with a street value of HK$1.3 million (US$166,600), Headline Daily reported.
Police say traffickers swallow condoms filled with liquid narcotics to cheat traditional detection methods like X-rays.
Hong Kong police are investigating the source of the illegal drugs.