A 64-year-old Irish man from the Midlands has died in an Ecuadorian prison just days after being arrested in connection with a significant cocaine trafficking case, authorities have confirmed.
The man was detained on August 1 at Guayaquil Airport after police allegedly found 15 kilograms of cocaine in his luggage.
According to Ecuador’s national police, the drugs were bound for Spain and had an estimated street value of approximately €600,000.
The operation also led to the seizure of two guns, multiple phones, a weighing scale and GPS devices.
The Irish nationals were formally charged and remanded in custody following an appearance before an investigating magistrate on suspicion of trafficking controlled substances.
As reported by The Irish Independent, the older man became sick while in custody and died in hospital on August 6, just five days after the arrest.
While officials have not publicly disclosed the official cause of death, it is understood he suffered a heart attack.
His son, who was arrested alongside the man, remains in an Ecuadorian prison awaiting further legal proceedings.
Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed it is providing consular support to the family of the deceased.
In a brief statement, the department said it is aware of the case but declined to comment further, citing standard policy around consular confidentiality.
Efforts are underway to repatriate the deceased man’s body to Ireland from Guayaquil, a major port city and a known hub in international drug trafficking routes.
The country has ramped up anti-narcotics operations in recent years, including coordinated inspections at airports and seaports.
The Ecuadorian Ministry of the Interior said the arrest of the two Irish nationals was part of one such coordinated operation, which successfully prevented what police estimated to be the distribution of over 147,000 doses of cocaine.
