A South African national who was caught with £400,000 worth of cocaine when one of the peach tins in which it was concealed burst has been jailed for 71/2 years by Judge Elizabeth Dunne.
Johannes Coutzee (38), from Johannesburg, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to having cocaine for sale and supply valued at £10,000 or more, and to the unlawful importation of the drug on November 7th last.
Garda David Donnelly said immigration officers stopped Coutzee at Dublin Airport when they noticed liquid leaking from his bag. Two bulk-size tins of peaches were found in the bag, each containing three packets of cocaine. The drugs weighed 3 kg and were worth up to £400,000, Garda Donnelly said.