Cameroonian man 'wrapped in stretch film' on Turkish Airlines flight

Duvar English

A Cameroonian man was reportedly wrapped in stretch film on a Turkish Airlines flight after it was determined that he entered Turkey with a fake visa.

The passenger, David Eboutou, said that he was heading to Dubai from Yaounde with a connecting flight with his wife on Jan. 21.

Upon stopping in Istanbul, Eboutou reportedly wanted to leave the airport due to the long waiting hours, while his wife remained in the transit area.

"When I arrived at passport control, I was told that my transit visa was fake and that I was detained. I was taken to a type of detention center," Eboutou, who says that he is a businessman, told France 24.

"My phone was seized and I was asked to sign some papers in Turkish. I wanted to meet a lawyer, but the officers rejected. I don't know who these officers were, since they were not wearing a uniform," he also said.

Saying that authorities wanted to deport him for the first time on Jan. 23, Eboutou noted that he insisted on continuing his trip to Dubai.

"The officers hit me. The Turkish Airlines crew and the pilot refused to take me," he said.

Eboutou said that he was told on Jan. 28 that he will be sent to Cameroon's Yaounde.

"I protested this once again and they put me in a private room this time. There were a dozen officers. First, they shackled my hands and feet. Then they stuffed my mouth with napkins and closed with sticky tape," he said.

"Finally, they took two large plastic films that are used for packing luggage at airports. They wrapped me in a way that I couldn't move. I had difficulty breathing. Three officers put me in a wheelchair and took me to the plane heading to Yaounde," Eboutou also said.

"They carried me like a package," he added.

@_AfricanUnion @africaupdates @AFRICANGLORY @AFRICA24TV @africaradioOFF #Cameroun @rdussey Expulsion d'un africain avec Turkish Airlines... pic.twitter.com/OsQWyaMh0O

— Ehuzu Daniel Gbèmènou (@Ehuzud) February 17, 2020

Saying that his wife filmed the situation for proof, Eboutou noted that passengers on the plane urged officers to remove the wrap.

"My clothes got ripped apart when I was resisting police. I had 2,400 euros in cash in the pocket of my jeans that I left on my seat, but when the officer gave it back to me, it was empty," he said.

Eboutou said that he arrived in Abuja on Jan. 31 and was home on Feb. 4.

He noted that he lost 10,590 euros because of the travel agency that he claims have defrauded him and the events in Istanbul.

"I lost both my capital and my reliability. No one wants to do business with me anymore," Eboutou said.

Following Eboutou's claims, Turkish Interior Ministry released a statement, saying that two inspectors were assigned to look into the issue.

"The individual in subject was tried to be deported three times on Jan. 21, 22 and 27, but was able to be deported on Jan. 30 since he resisted and removed his clothes on the plane in the latest attempt," it said, adding that he tried to enter Turkey with a fake document.

"However, no matter what happened, such a practice is absolutely unacceptable," it also said.