Jarod Tyler Roberts, a U.S. national, was arrested after ingesting multiple pellets of cocaine in an attempt to smuggle the drugs from Alabama to Saudi Arabia.
He is currently recovering at a Nairobi hospital under police watch after suffering severe abdominal complications.
On February 16, Roberts was taken to the hospital by a friend and admitted for examination after showing signs of drug overdose.
A doctor at the hospital alerted anti-narcotics detectives from the DCI Headquarters, prompting them to visit the facility and witness the suspect undergo an endoscopy procedure.
During the procedure, three pellets of cocaine, weighing 57.98g, were recovered from the suspect’s rectum and confirmed to be positive for the drug.
The drugs were seized and documented. The doctor also discovered another pellet lodged in Roberts’ small intestine, which is being treated and will be surgically removed.
Detectives later found that Roberts had been staying at an Airbnb in Nairobi’s Westlands area and was scheduled to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight at 6:00 PM on the same day he fell ill.
His intended destination was Saudi Arabia, with a layover in Addis Ababa.
Roberts’ travel and personal documents have been confiscated, and once he recovers, he will face charges related to drug trafficking.
