AN EDMONTON resident was jailed for seven years last week, after admitting he tried to smuggle over two kilograms of cocaine into the UK.

Jerry Okoye, 22, from Seymour Road, was stopped by customs officers at Bristol Airport in April after arriving on an Astraeus charter flight from the Gambia, in West Africa.

A search of his luggage led to the discovery of a yellow tape-wrapped package containing the drugs. Officers then interviewed Okoye before charging him with smuggling cocaine into Britain.

After pleading guilty at an earlier hearing, Okoye was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on July 10.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) South West spokesman, Bob Gaiger, said: "Customs vigilance has prevented this cocaine from reaching its destination.

"This sentence will act as a deterrent to anyone considering smuggling drugs."

He said the work was part of the Government's aim of reducing the availability of Class A drugs.

"Smugglers should not regard airports like Bristol as a soft touch," he added.

Analysis of the drugs found 2.07 kilos of cocaine with a 100 per cent purity and an estimated street value of £147,000.