(Adnkronos) – A Congolese diplomat suspected of smuggling cocaine hidden in suitcases from Western Europe to Turkey was arrested in Bulgaria after being caught red-handed last week, according to a court document seen by AFP today.
Jean De Dieu Mutebwa Mulumba, who worked in Brussels, allegedly used his diplomatic status to illegally transport drugs across EU borders to Turkey at least five times in the past year, the document said. The diplomat was among three people arrested last Friday at the Bulgarian-Turkish border, after several suitcases filled with over 200 kilograms of cocaine in total were found in the vehicle registered to him.
After being arrested, the 40-year-old second secretary of the Embassy of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in Brussels said he was traveling to Bulgaria for shopping, claiming he did not know what his luggage contained. A 54-year-old Belgian woman, who had accompanied him in the car with diplomatic plates, said she thought the suitcases were full of gold. A 43-year-old Bulgarian man was also arrested, accused of being involved in drug trafficking.
