A man was found at Stuttgart Airport with more than half a kilogram of cocaine in his body.
He had probably swallowed a total of 51 packages, as a spokeswoman for the main customs office in Stuttgart said on Friday.
During the control shortly before the turn of the year, he stated that he had abdominal pain.
It then turned out that he was traveling as a so-called body packer.
He then eliminated the packages in the hospital in Esslingen.
The man had traveled to Stuttgart from Portugal.
Now he is in custody.
The Stuttgart customs investigation authorities are investigating the masterminds and background to the smuggling.
The smuggling of drugs in the body is considered particularly risky.
Packets can tear open, after which the substances are absorbed directly through the mucous membranes.