Spain: Man arrested with half kilo of cocaine hidden under his wig

The would-be smuggler attracted attention because his hairpiece was of 'disproportionate size'

The man was arrested after arriving on a flight from Bogota. EPA

A Colombian has been arrested at Barcelona airport with half a kilo of cocaine hidden under his wig.

The man attracted officers' attention because he appeared nervous and his hairpiece was of "disproportionate size".

Officers questioned the individual and found a sealed package taped to his head containing 503 grams of cocaine worth more than US$34,000 (Dh125,000).

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In what police have dubbed Operation Toupee, the man was arrested at Barcelona's El Prat airport, Spain's second busiest, after arriving on a flight from Bogota at the end of June.

Spain, with its historic and linguistic links to South America, is an important gateway for cocaine to Europe, mainly from Colombia.

Smugglers often resort to creative methods to get drugs past the country's customs officers.

In recent years, police have found cocaine inside breast implants, hollowed-out pineapples, a wheelchair cushion, a plaster cast encasing a man's broken leg, and a 42-piece crockery set.