An alleged heroin smuggler was caught after flying into Washington Dulles International Airport over the weekend, at least the third time a suspected smuggler was arrested at the airport in January.
Abiodun Adebanjo was arrived at Dulles from Rome on Sunday, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court in Alexandria. The complaint says he told Customs and Border Protection officers he worked for Lufthansa Airlines and showed them a badge the officers believed was fake.
A drug-sniffing dog alerted CBP officers to Adebanjo’s suitcase and the agents found condoms and a net — materials often used by smugglers who have ingested heroin pellets, the complaint says. Adebanjo was taken to a hospital, where x-rays showed items in his stomach and he began to expel pellets that field-tested positive for heroin.
Authorities say he had swallowed 557 grams, or about 1.2 pounds, of heroin. Adebanjo admitted that he knew the pellets were drugs when he swallowed them, according to the complaint. He is charged with attempting to import a controlled substance.
Earlier in January, suspected heroin smugglers were caught after having allegedly swallowed just under one pound and about 2.4 pounds of the drug. Officials say drug smuggling through Dulles is a growing problem, and more than a half-dozen people have been arrested after having swallowed heroin pellets in recent months. Other smugglers have used items from suitcases to religious statues to try to conceal contraband.
