The man had swallowed the heroin encased in capsules.
Heroin weighing 1.266 kg worth nearly Rs 9 crore was seized from a Tanzanian national by Air Intelligence Officers of he customs department at Chennai International airport.
The officials had intercepted the Tanzanian national who had arrived in the city on 14 July from Entebbe in Uganda in Ethiopian Airlines flight ET335/692.
The man had swallowed the heroin encased in capsules which was later recovered by customs officials.
Customs officials in Chennai had encountered a similar case in May this year after apprehending an Ugandan man who had swallowed 63 capsules containing heroin worth Rs 5.56 crore.