Drugs mule carried £350,000 haul

Ortiz was caught trying to bring the drugs into Scotland at Stranraer

A Bolivian "drugs mule" has admitted bringing cocaine worth almost £350,000 into a port in south west Scotland.

Norilda Ortiz, 47, was stopped at Stranraer harbour last November but told police she thought the packages contained medicine.

X-rays later found bags of drugs hidden inside the woman's stomach.

At the High Court in Glasgow, Ortiz admitted a charge of being concerned in the supply of cocaine. She will be sentenced next month.

Prosecutors have also moved to have her deported.

The court heard that Ortiz was stopped on 7 November having arrived on a ferry from Belfast.

Serious charge

She had initially travelled from Dublin where she had been granted temporary leave to stay for a week's holiday.

It was believed she was trying to enter the UK illegally and she was taken to a police station.

It was while being transferred that she took out two packages, which were seized by officers.

Simon Bowie, prosecuting, said: "They contained 19 smaller packages of cocaine.

"She said that she had been told that the parcels were remedies.

"That was a reference to medicine."

More packages were found in her pockets.

It was then suspected she had more inside her body and another 28 packets were later discovered hidden in her bowels.

Mr Bowie said a total of 76 bags were recovered which contained 85% pure cocaine with a potential street value of £349,612.

Judge Lady Smith told Ortiz: "You have pled guilty to a very serious charge of being concerned in the supply of cocaine."

The judge deferred sentencing for reports until next month at the High Court in Edinburgh.