An examination revealed that the drug courier had swallowed "a total of 65 containers of heroin with a total weight of 796 grams," the spokesman said.

The suspect faces up to seven years in jail if convicted.

The smuggling of drugs from and via Tajikistan has increased significantly since the withdrawal of Russian border troops from the Tajik-Afghan border in mid-2005.

According to the United Nations Development Program, up to 100 metric tons of heroin is smuggled through Tajikistan annually, enough to meet the combined annual 'demand' of Europe and North America.