Ten wraps of heroin found in man's back passage

Police said ten wraps of the drug were discovered in Maris Ludborzs’ body while his co-accused Andrius Medzius had the same amount in his underwear.

Both men were arrested during an operation in the Alexander Park Avenue area on Tuesday night.

A detective told Belfast Magistrates’ Court the pair are allegedly linked to the supply of heroin in the city.

He added: “There’s a major public health crisis at the moment, and it’s quite a danger to the public.”

Ludborzs, 40, a Latvian national with an address at Broadway, Belfast, and 45-year-old Medzius, a Lithuanian of no fixed abode, are both charged with possessing Class A drugs with intent to supply.

The two men were stopped and searched after police on patrol spotted a suspected interaction.

Although nothing was found at the scene they were taken to hospital for intimate examinations.

Ten wraps of heroin with a street value of £250 were recovered from Medzius’ underpants, the court heard.

He was remanded into custody after his lawyer confirmed he plans to plead guilty.

According to the detective another ten wraps were found in Ludborzs’ back passage.

His barrister, Michael Boyd, said he accepted possession of the drugs but denied any intent to supply.

Seeking bail for his client, Mr Boyd said: “He cannot remember very much about what happened, he believes the co-accused had given him these wraps and asked him to mind them for him.”

Rejecting police concerns about a flight risk, he said Ludborzs has been in Northern Ireland for seven years working as a trained welder up until he suffered a serious accident at work earlier this month.

Granting bail, District Judge Liam McNally ordered Ludborzs to surrender his passport and provide a £1,000 cash surety before he can be released.

Both accused are due back in court next month. ends