U.S national hospitalised in Nairobi after swallowing cocaine

A U.S. citizen is currently under police watch at a Nairobi hospital after suffering severe abdominal complications from ingesting cocaine pellets in an attempt to traffic them from Alabama to Saudi Arabia.

The suspect, identified as Jarod Tyler Roberts, was admitted on Sunday, February 16, after a friend rushed him to the hospital when he exhibited symptoms of drug overdose.

Doctors at the facility later alerted anti-narcotics detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), who arrived to witness an endoscopic procedure performed on Roberts.

Three pellets were retrieved from his rectum, which tested positive for cocaine, weighing a total of 57.98 grams. Authorities seized and documented the narcotics as evidence.

Medical examinations also revealed the presence of another pellet lodged in his small intestines, and doctors are providing treatment to safely extract it.

Preliminary investigations indicate that Roberts had been staying at an AirBnB in Nairobi’s Westlands area and was scheduled to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight at 6pm on the day he fell ill. His itinerary included a layover in Addis Ababa before proceeding to Saudi Arabia.

Law enforcement officials have confiscated his travel and personal documents. Once he recovers, Roberts is expected to face charges related to drug trafficking.