Tanzanian accused of ingesting 100 pellets of heroin

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A 30-year-old Tanzanian man was arrested at Bush Intercontinental Airport after he allegedly tried to smuggle heroin into the United States by ingesting more than 100 pellets containing the illicit drug.

Bryan Mukama Hans was arrested June 3 after Customs and Border Protection officers found heroin-filled pellets in his abdomen during an X-ray exam, according to the US Department of Justice.

Airport officials say Hans' itinerary indicated he was supposed to depart the United States en route to Tanzania via Doha, Qatar, on June 18, 2012. But officers became suspicious of Hans after they could not verify his plans to head to Utah for a family reunion.

After officers picked up on more inconsistencies in his statements, they asked him to take him to the Northwest Medical Center to take an X-ray exam. Hans agreed and shortly after taking it, he allegedly passed approximately 22 plastic-wrapped pellets from his body. One of the pellets was field tested and revealed the presence of heroin. The exam also allegedly revealed the presence of foreign bodies within his digestive tract.

Hans remained under the care of medical professionals until he had passed all foreign bodies from his digestive tract and was medically discharged. Detectives say the pellets contained more than one kilogram of heroin.

He was indicted and will remain in custody pending further criminal proceedings.

"This enforcement action is an example of our commitment to protecting the traveling public while enforcing hundreds of laws," said Jeffrey O. Baldwin Sr., director of Field Operations for Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in Houston. 

"We'll take every opportunity to disrupt suspected criminal activity and deny those that seek to use our ports of entry to further their illegal activity."

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and CBP. Assistant United States Attorney Richard Magness is prosecuting the case.