A 20-year-old man has been jailed for ten years after he tried to smuggle a consignment of cocaine through Leeds Bradford Airport.

Marc Anthony Kennedy Opia was caught by Customs officers at the airport who found more than five kilos of the drug in his belongings in January this year. He had been travelling from Nigeria via Amsterdam.

Opia, of Windsor, Berkshire, pleaded guilty to importing an illegal or controlled substance when he appeared at Leeds Crown Court today.

The judge, Recorder Rodney Jameson QC, sentenced him to ten years' imprisonment due to the seriousness of the crime.

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

"The removal of more than 5kg of the class A drug cocaine from the criminal supply chain shows our commitment to reduce the availability of harmful drugs on the streets of West Yorkshire."

"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.

"We hope that this sends out a clear warning message to anyone tempted to smuggle drugs.

If you know of any suspicious activities which may be linked to drug smuggling, call our Confidential 24-hour freephone 0800 59 5000."