A Nigerian drug courier who confessed to coming to Malta on August 22, 2008 after swallowing 42 capsules of cocaine was yesterday jailed for eight years and fined €23,000.

The 45 per cent pure cocaine, weighing almost half a kilo, has a street value of between €32,000 and €52,000.

According to the bill of indictment, Agboola Komorudeen, 45, agreed to transport the drugs to Malta after speaking to a man named Jad and another anonymous person in Belgium. He was scheduled to receive €1,200 for the run.

He was meant to stay at a hotel in Qawra and deliver the drugs after receiving a call on his mobile phone. The police stopped him at the airport and searched him but found nothing illegal. He was then asked to have an X-ray taken at the hospital when the drugs were detected.

After plea bargaining, Mr Komorudeen admitted to conspiring to import the drugs and being in possession of the drug in circumstances denoting it was not for his exclusive use.

Mr Justice Lawrence Quintano delivered judgement after taking into consideration the circumstances of the case and the plea bargaining.