A man from the African nation of Ivory Coast was arrested at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport here for allegedly trying to smuggle cocaine worth nearly Rs 15 crore concealed in capsules in his body, an official said on Thursday.

Based on specific intelligence, officials from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) recently intercepted the Ivory Coast national at the airport on suspicion of carrying drugs, the anti-smuggling agency said in a statement.

During interrogation, the man admitted that he had ingested capsules containing drugs to smuggle them to India, it stated.

After court permission, the man was admitted to the state-run JJ hospital where he purged 77 capsules containing 1,468 grams of cocaine – an intense, euphoria-producing stimulant drug – between Monday and Wednesday, the statement said, adding that the drug is worth about Rs 15 crore.

A case has been registered against the man under the stringent Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.