A Portuguese man who imported more than 400 grams of cocaine in his stomach was jailed for seven years and six months.

Alexandre Pais arrived in Malta on October 23 on a Ryanair flight from Madrid after swallowing 44 capsules containing 428.91 grams of cocaine with a purity of 36 per cent.

The court heard that Mr Pais had conspired with two other men, one called Mute and the other Thomas, to bring the drugs to Malta from Spain. Mr Pais was meant to pass on the drugs to a third man at a hotel shortly after his arrival and receive €1,500 for the job.

Before travelling to Malta he met Thomas who helped him swallow the capsules.

Mr Pais admitted conspiring to import, importing and being in aggravated possession of the drugs.

Mr Justice Michael Mallia also fined him €23,000.

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