An Afghanistan veteran arrested with 42 packets of cocaine in his stomach has been jailed for drug smuggling.

Fitzdonald Byron Okoye had flown to Heathrow from Argentina after swallowing half a kilo of high purity cocaine with a street value of about £70,000.

The 27-year-old Morden man, who had served in the British Army, was jailed for six years after being found guilty of importing Class A drugs.

Okoye, of Doyglas Square, was arrested on May 11 this year after stepping off a connecting flight from Madrid. He told customs officers he had been on holiday in Argentina, but X-rays revealed suspicious packages inside his stomach. He was also carrying packets of laxatives.

Peter Avery, assistant director of the UK Border Agency’s criminal and financial investigation directorate, said: “Those who would buy cocaine and fuel the illegal drugs trade should know that this is often the reality of how it is brought into the UK - inside drugs mules who then use laxatives to retrieve their cargo. I’ve no doubt that had Okoye not been stopped this cocaine would’ve ended up being cut and sold on the streets of London.

“We are serious about tackling the criminals responsible for bringing illegal drugs into Britain and work tirelessly to prevent drugs from being smuggled into the UK.”

The sentencing took place at Isleworth Crown Court on November 17. A home office spokesman said anyone with information about smuggling should call 0800 595 000.