{"id":120230,"date":"2025-06-29T21:38:41","date_gmt":"2025-06-29T20:38:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/?p=120230"},"modified":"2025-06-29T21:38:41","modified_gmt":"2025-06-29T20:38:41","slug":"ex-international-footballer-accomplice-busted-in-airport-cocaine-smuggling-attempt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/other-news\/ex-international-footballer-accomplice-busted-in-airport-cocaine-smuggling-attempt\/","title":{"rendered":"Ex-International Footballer, Accomplice Busted in Airport Cocaine Smuggling Attempt"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Lizzy Chirkpi<\/div>\n
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Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have apprehended former international footballer, Segun George Hunkarin and his business associate, Ntoruka Emmanuel Chinedu, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja, Lagos.<\/div>\n
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Their arrest stems from an attempt to smuggle cocaine into Nigeria.<\/div>\n
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Chinedu, a frequent traveler known for transporting goods between Turkey and Nigeria, was the first to be taken into custody upon his arrival at the Lagos airport on Tuesday, June 24, 2025.<\/div>\n
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A search of his carry-on bag uncovered 37 wraps of cocaine weighing 800 grams, cleverly concealed within.<\/div>\n
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Further investigation revealed that Chinedu had flown from Turkey on an Ethiopian Airlines flight, but transited through Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It was there that he reportedly collected the illicit luggage from another individual before continuing his journey to Nigeria.<\/div>\n
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Subsequent checks led to the discovery of an accomplice, identified as former professional footballer Segun Hunkarin, who was awaiting Chinedu at the airport carpark to retrieve the consignment. Hunkarin, who spent several years playing for football clubs in Brazil, was swiftly tracked down and arrested at the carpark.<\/div>\n
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According to a report on the official NDLEA website, \u201cIn his statement, Hunkarin admitted to having trafficked drugs on two prior occasions from Brazil to Ethiopia during his time as a professional footballer in the South American country, but maintained he had never brought any into Nigeria.\u201d<\/div>\n
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