Nigerian National Allegedly Ingested 4 Pounds of Heroin

CHANTILLY, Va. -- A man who recently flew into Dulles International Airport is in jail on federal drug charges after authorities say ingested nearly four pounds of heroin in a smuggling attempt.

Forty-five-year-old Ebodor Okenwa arrived at Dulles Thursday on a flight from Italy, according to court records. Customs officers thought he was acting nervously and found he was carrying anti-diarrheal medication.

He was taken to Reston Hospital Center and X-rays showed pellets in his abdomen. Okenwa eventually excreted 88 pellets containing 3.75 pounds of heroin.

Customs and Border Protection spokesman Steve Sapp told the Washington Examiner that the heroin had a street value of about $125,000.

Okenwa, a Nigerian national, is being held pending a detention hearing scheduled for Thursday.