A GERMAN man was today jailed for eight-and-a-half years after he admitted trying to smuggle more than three kilograms of cocaine worth £500,000 through Newcastle Airport.

Sascha Zimmermann, 29, a German national of no fixed abode was stopped and questioned by officers from the UK Border Agency on June 6 this year as he attempted to pass through border controls. A search of his hold luggage revealed the drugs, which had been hidden in the lining of two rucksacks inside his main bag.

Zimmermann, who was sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court, flew to Newcastle from Rio de Janeiro, via Paris. Further investigations showed that he had travelled to Curitiba in the south of Brazil having started his journey in Holland, where he claimed to have been living rough in Amsterdam.

The drugs, which weighed a total of 3.08kg, were sent away for analysis and found to be 88 per cent pure, giving them an estimated street value of about £500,000.

Malcolm Bragg, Area Director at the UK Border Agency, said afterwards: "We welcome the sentence handed down today at Newcastle Crown Court which reflects the severity of this offence.

"This haul demonstrates the role that the UK Border Agency plays in keeping potentially life-wrecking drugs off the streets in the North-East.

"We will continue to come down hard on those who attempt to bring illegal drugs into the country.

"We have robust controls in place at all points of entry along our borders. We use the latest technology, detector dogs and intelligence as well as the expertise of our staff in our efforts to stop the importation of illegal drugs."