A man stopped as he was entering Malta from Dubai was smuggling 1kg of cocaine in his stomach, a court heard this week. 

Mayco Tulio Gutierrez Cachay, a Peruvian national, was sentenced to eight years in prison and fined €25,000 after he pleaded guilty to importing an estimated €47,8000 worth of cocaine.

Mr Cachay was detained by police as he was disembarking a plane at Malta International Airport on July 30, following a tip-off officers had received the previous day.

A search of his person and luggage revealed nothing suspicious, and Mr Cachay was taken to police headquarters. After agreeing to an X-ray, he was taken to Mater Dei Hospital.

The X-ray revealed that his stomach was “packed with foreign bodies”, inspector Kevin Pulis told the court.

The items turned out to be 95 capsules of cocaine that was 43% pure. In total, the accused was smuggling 975 grams of the drug.

Mr Cachay and the Attorney General’s office filed a court petition in which they stated that they had agreed to an eight-year prison sentence and €25,000 fine.

Judge Consuelo Scerri Herrera accepted the plea and sentenced Mr Cachay accordingly.