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Passenger with broken leg had cocaine cast

Barcelona - 66-year-old arrested at airport
Barcelona - 66-year-old arrested at airport

A 66-year-old man has been arrested after arriving at Barcelona International Airport in a wheelchair and with a leg cast made entirely of cocaine.

The passenger, who had arrived from Santiago in Chile, was arrested as he tried to get through customs.

He also had more cocaine stashed inside six cans of beer and two folding stools in his luggage.

Spain is the primary entry point for cocaine into Europe and it is the largest consumer of the drug in the European Union.

According to the Associated Press, the drug was discovered when police sprayed the cast with a chemical that turns bright blue when it comes into contact with cocaine.

Police believe the man, or his accomplices, may have broken the leg on purpose so as not to arouse the suspicions of customs officials.

X-rays confirmed the man was suffering from an 'open fracture of the tibia and the fibula'. He has now been transferred to hospital for an operation.