Mumbai, Jan 18 (IANS): In a new modus operandi, a Nigerian with drugs concealed in his mouth, swallowed the cocaine pellets when a team of Narcotics Control Bureau nabbed him in Mumbai, officials said here on Monday.

The incident occurred on January 14 when the NCB team caught the accused named Ifeamyichukwu Pius when he was moving around a five-star hotel in Juhu to deliver the contraband.

On seeing the sleuths lunging at him, Pius popped the dozen-odd cocaine pellets into his mouth and gulped each plastic pack containing one gm each.

The NCB immediately rushed him to the Sir JJ Hospital where an x-ray and CT scan examination confirmed the pellets were lodged in his abdominal area.

Thereafter, Pius was made to purge the dozen pellets under medical supervision which were retrieved by the NCB. NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede said that the accused was discharged from hospital on Monday and further investigations are on to identify his associates or clients.

The NCB said this is the first instance where a peddler was carrying drugs in his mouth and distributing them to the customers, making it very difficult to ascertain the involvement of the accused.