Sao Paulo, Nov 27 (EFE) A 35-year-old Italian citizen died at an airport in northeastern Brazil of a cocaine overdose after one of the 20 capsules containing cocaine that were in his stomach ruptured, media reported Thursday.

The man died Tuesday afternoon at the international airport at Fortaleza, the capital of the state of Ceara, and – according to forensic physicians – at the autopsy 17 small capsules and 3 larger ones were found in his stomach containing a total of 250 grams of cocaine.

According to police sources, the man had his permanent residence in Fortaleza, and an investigation has been opened to try and establish if he was at the airport because he had just arrived on a flight or was just about to depart.

Police will start examining the footage and photographs taken by security cameras at the airport to determine if the man was at the airport alone or had an accomplice.