Drugs mule dies after swallowing cocaine capsules

A YOUNG man who fell ill on a flight, forcing the pilot to divert to Ireland, has died of a drugs overdose.

The 19-year-old swallowed 95 capsules of cocaine in an attempt to smuggle them into Europe from South America. The man, believed to be an Estonian national, complained to cabin crew on the KLM Amsterdam bound flight from Peru that he was feeling unwell and the pilot decided to divert to Shannon. The man told the crew he had swallowed some pills. Following the forced landing on Saturday, he was taken to Mid-Western General Hospital where he passed a number of packages.

An X-ray examination showed a number of capsules containing what is believed to be cocaine inside the man. Some had burst during the flight.