A MAN arrested at Shannon airport on Monday on suspicion of ingesting drugs had to undergo surgery at Ennis General Hospital to recover the contraband.
The man, aged 40 and from Galway, arrived at Shannon airport at about lunchtime on Monday on a flight from Brussels.
As part of a joint Customs/ Garda investigation, Customs officers at Shannon stopped the man suspecting that he was smuggling drugs. He was detained and taken away to a private room to be interviewed.
During the course of their inquiries, Customs officers suspected that the man had concealed drugs on his person.
Gardaí from nearby Shannon town were called to the airport and the suspect was arrested and taken to Shannon Garda station for questioning.
While being questioned, gardaí became concerned about the man whom they suspected had ingested some drugs. He was taken to Ennis General Hospital on Monday evening where he underwent a “minor surgical procedure” to recover the drugs.
Some 100 grammes of cocaine and 50 grammes of heroin, provisionally valued at €17,000 pending analysis, were recovered and handed over to gardaí. The man was discharged from hospital soon afterwards and returned to Shannon Garda station for further questioning.
The man has since been released without charge and gardaí have said that a file will be forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Customs officers at Shannon airport made 28 drugs seizures last year, recovering more than 19kg of contraband, valued at €411,487. There were almost twice as many seizures (52) in 2007 which netted more than 66kg of drugs worth €255,958.