X-ray reveals cocaine pellets in suspect’s body

You could say the proof was in the poop.

A German man is facing a federal drug charge after authorities accused him of trying to board a plane in Las Vegas with more than a kilogram of cocaine in his digestive system.

According to court records, an X-ray revealed that Christopher Adiegwu had numerous 1-inch pellets in his upper digestive system after he was stopped on Aug. 17 at McCarran International Airport.

Medical personnel then administered a laxative, causing Adiegwu to eliminate 81 plastic pellets containing cocaine.

"That's a lot for one person to carry," said Kim Smith, acting port director for U.S. Customs and Border Protection at McCarran.

Smith said officers at Los Angeles International Airport, which is considered McCarran's sister port within the agency, occasionally catch smugglers who have ingested drugs, but this is the first such arrest she can recall in Las Vegas.

Spokesman Jaime Ruiz said the agency's officers arrested 23 people at McCarran in fiscal 2010, which ended Sept. 30. He said the agency's main mission is to stop terrorists and their weapons from entering the United States, but its officers also aim to stop the international flow of drugs and drug money.

"It's important to know that we're there," Ruiz said.

Adiegwu, 43, has been charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.

According to court records, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers inspected Adiegwu before allowing him to board Virgin Airways Flight 44, which was bound for London.

Adiegwu, a German citizen and native of Nigeria, had arrived in the United States on Aug. 5 at Los Angeles International Airport.

"Records checks through law enforcement databases indicated an alert lookout for Adiegwu because he was suspected as being a possible internal narcotics carrier, based on his travel patterns, which were consistent with other body carriers discovered in an ongoing investigation," according to an affidavit prepared by Bryan Fulmer, a special agent with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations.

According to the document, Adiegwu provided authorities with an invoice indicating that he had traveled to the United States to buy vehicles for shipment out of the country, but the shipping company reported that the invoice was fraudulent.

The suspect made several other statements "that did not legitimize his reason for travel," the affidavit alleged.

According to the document, Adiegwu arrived at McCarran about 3 p.m. on Aug. 17. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers transported him to Spring Valley Hospital about two hours later for an X-ray examination and "possible monitored bowel movement."

At about 10:30 p.m., X-ray results confirmed the existence of the pellets, and Adiegwu was given a laxative. About 20 minutes after midnight, he eliminated one of the pellets.

"A field test of the white powder vacuum sealed inside of the plastic pellet, field tested positive for cocaine," Fulmer wrote.

According to the affidavit, Adiegwu did not provide a statement to officers regarding the narcotics, but he eliminated 80 more pellets during the next several hours.

Smith said about eight officers rotated in and out during the overnight investigation.

"Knowing that they could stop the transportation of illegal narcotics out of the country made the assignment more bearable," she said.

About 9 a.m. Aug. 18, a final X-ray showed that no more pellets remained in the suspect's digestive system. Adiegwu was released from the hospital and taken into custody.

A federal grand jury in Las Vegas indicted him Tuesday. According to the indictment, Adiegwu possessed about 1.2 kilograms of cocaine, about 2.6 pounds.

Michael Harris, assistant special agent in charge for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations in Las Vegas, said that amount could be sold in Las Vegas for between $25,000 and $30,000. It would be worth more in London, he said.

Because of increased enforcement efforts at Phoenix and Los Angeles airports, Harris said, smugglers are looking for alternate airports, "and Las Vegas seems to be a place where they're coming."

An arraignment for Adiegwu has been scheduled for Sept. 9.

Contact reporter Carri Geer Thevenot at cgeer@reviewjournal.com or 702-384-8710.