A Swedish national of Iranian descent flying from Iran to Sweden with a stopover in Istanbul died after the drug capsules he swallowed burst, Demirören News Agency (DHA) reported Tuesday.
R.H., 63, arrived at Istanbul Airport on a plane he boarded from Iran. According to the reports, the holder of a Swedish passport could not board to flight to Sweden after he lost his identification and had thus checked into a nearby hotel to start the proceedings to re-issue the lost passport.
However, during the evening of the next day, R.H. became ill, complaining of abdominal pain. He asked the hotel staff to call an ambulance.
Emergency crews were dispatched and provided first aid at the scene. They then transferred the man to Arnavutköy State Hospital. After an examination at the hospital, foreign objects were detected in the man's stomach. Though some of the drug-filled capsules were removed, he was later transferred to Samatya Training and Research Hospital and intubated as the situation worsened.
Despite all the interventions, the man died. The footage of security cameras from the hotel captured the moment R.H. entered the hotel, writhing in pain at the door and asking for help before walking to the ambulance accompanied by the medical teams.
Due to its location between Europe and Asia, Türkiye is often a transit route for drug smugglers between the two continents. However, in the last few years, the country has upped its efforts to counter the issue, with officials often reiterating that Türkiye has achieved progress in drug seizures.
