Polish man swallows bellyful of cocaine pellets, collapses at Miami airport

Doctor removed 53 drug-filled rubber pellets from Waldemar Wojtczak, police say

MIAMI – A Polish man who collapsed at Miami International Airport was rushed to a Hialeah hospital, where medical staff found a large number of cocaine-filled pellets in his stomach, police said.

Waldemar Wojtczak, 45, was arrested last month after a doctor at Hialeah Hospital removed the drugs from his stomach, according to a Miami-Dade police report obtained Tuesday.

Recommended Videos



According to the report, Wojtczak ingested 53 powder-filled pellets that tested positive for cocaine.

Because Wojtczak "was unable to release the pellets on his own" after several days in the intensive care unit, the medical staff decided to perform surgery on him to remove the pellets before they ruptured.

A doctor performed the surgery Sept. 7, removing 53 rubber pellets from inside his upper and lower abdomen.

After the surgery, Wojtczak was in critical condition in the ICU, where he remained until he was booked into the Metro West Detention Center.

Wojtczak faces a charge of trafficking cocaine. He remains in jail without bond.


About the Author:

Peter Burke returned for a second stint of duty at Local 10 News in February 2014.