Updated 11.20 a.m.

The police attempted to conduct a controlled drug delivery after a Nigerian man was allegedly caught carrying drugs at the airport, a trial by jury was told this morning.

Nigerian businessman John Udagha Omeh, 42, is pleading not guilty to conspiring to deal in about three kilogrammes of cocaine, which were allegedly hidden in the false bottom of his suitcase on arriving in Malta on December 9, 2007.

Police Inspector Victor Aquilina said Customs officers stopped the accused at the airport and found a parcel inside a hidden compartment in his luggage.

The accused had said that the luggage was given to him by a friend in Togo airport, but he then admitted to having packed the clothes himself in Togo. He denied knowledge of the drugs.

A Magisterial enquiry was carried out and court expert pharmacist Mario Mifsud ran tests and checked the substance. In all, three kilogrammes of cocaine were found.

The inspector said he had noticed a Maltese number in the mobile phone of the accused. The accused initially said that he met someone in Malta when he was here before, but he then said the number belonged to the person who was going to pick-up the luggage.

He had said he was given instructions to book any hotel and then call Nigeria to get instructions from there.

The inspector said an ttempt was then made to conduct a controlled delivery. The accused was booked in the Preluna hotel and he called the number and was told to wait in the hotel room. He received a number of calls but no one called for the luggage.

In a statement to the police, the accused said he was a father of a 10-month old daughter and worked as a salesman of automotive spare parts.

Taking the witness stand, pharmacist Mario Mifsud said two packets of drugs were found. The street value was €229,664.