A physically challenged Nigerian, Okeke Ambrose Ifedilichukwu, has been arrested at the Kotoka International Airport in Ghana after it was discovered that he was caught trying to smuggle drugs by swallowing pellets of cocaine.

Officials of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) arrested the 55-year-old man after he arrived at the KIA aboard an Emirates aircraft en route to Dubai when he was arrested, Ghanaweb says.

Deputy Executive Secretary of NACOB, Nii Lante Blankson, said the suspect left Abidjan for Accra where he was on transit.

He said while Okeke was on the flight, the airline officials realised that he was behaving abnormally and so as soon as the plane landed in Accra, he was referred to the Aviation Clinic at the airport for observation.

Officials of NACOB were alerted and Okeke admitted to them later on that he had swallowed pellets of cocaine.

He said he was supposed to deliver them to somebody in Dubai.

An X-ray taken at the Akai House Clinic confirmed that the suspect had a number of pellets of cocaine in his stomach.

He was taken back to the Aviation Clinic for further observation and to expel the pellets.

However his condition became critical en route the clinic and he was transferred to the 37 Military Hospital for an operation to expel the pellets from his stomach.