A 19-year-old man has been remanded in custody by magistrates after it is alleged nearly five kilos of cocaine were found in his possession when he flew into Leeds-Bradford Airport.

Marc Anthony Kennedy Opia, who is UK-born and has both British and Nigerian nationality, was arrested at the airport early on Monday morning by Customs officers as he travelled from Nigeria via Amsterdam.

He was charged with involvement in drugs smuggling yesterday and appeared before Leeds Magistrates today where he was remanded in custody to reappear at the court in a week's time.

David Odd, head of investigation at HM Revenue and Customs, said: "HM Revenue and Customs officers at the UK's airports and ports are determined to stop all drugs reaching our streets.

"In line with the UK Government's drugs strategy, we work with our partners at home and abroad to reduce the availability of Class A drugs, while continuing to detect and prosecute smugglers of other illegal drugs such as cannabis.

"If you know of any suspicious activities which may be linked to drug smuggling, call our confidential 24-hour freephone on 0800 595000."