A 20-YEAR-OLD IRISH man has been arrested in Brazil and charged with drugs offences after allegedly trying to smuggle cocaine to Europe.

The man was arrested at Congonhas airport in the city of Sao Paulo on Monday while on his way to board a flight, MSNBC reports. Police said he had swallowed 72 containers of cocaine – almost a kilogram of the drug in total.

According to Newstalk, the suspicions of airport police were aroused because the man appeared nervous. He is reported to have confessed and was taken to hospital, where the drug packages were recovered.

The man was trying to board a flight to Brussels at the time, according to reports. He has now been charged with international drug trafficking and faces a substantial prison sentence.

The Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed to TheJournal.ie that they were aware of reports on the case, but had received no request for consular assistance.

Police released a medical scan image of the cocaine allegedly inside the man’s stomach, which can be seen at MSNBC (warning: graphic content).