The police in Colombia have arrested three women dressed as nuns after they were caught trying to smuggle cocaine under their habits through an international airport.

Officials said the women were caught on Saturday on the Caribbean island on San Andres after flying in from the Colombian capital of Bogota.

Raising the suspicions of police on duty at the airport, the women were searched and each was found with two kilos (4.5 pounds) of cocaine strapped to each of their bodies.

"Three women who arrived at the Gustavo Roja Pinilla international airport raised the suspicions of our police because they were disguised as nuns, the costumes aroused the suspicions of staff," said San Andres Police Commander, Colonel Jorge Gomez.

None of the three suspects arrested were nuns.

"We found that they were not really religious, they were not runs. On the contrary, they were taking advantage of the situation to transport about six kilos (13 pounds) of hydrochloride cocaine," added Gomez.

Lying between Colombian and Nicaragua, San Andres island has been a traditional drug smuggling route for cocaine coming from South America.

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