LIMA — A British model and TikToker has been jailed for nearly seven years in Peru after he was caught trying to smuggle cocaine out of the country.

Modou Adams was stopped at the Jorge Chávez International Airport on 30 September with 2.9kg (6.4lb) of cocaine hidden in his suitcase.

The 25-year-old was sentenced to six years and eight months in a Peruvian prison.

The drugs were destined for the UK, according to a court statement.

Authorities found the drugs sealed into the back of his suitcase during a search, the Superior Court of Justice of Callao said in the statement which was released last week.

He was sentenced after admitting the drug smuggling charge, the court said, and was also fined.

In a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, Peru's Supreme Court said Adams was jailed for having coordinated the shipment of about 3kg of cocaine to London. It also shared a photoshopped image of Adams behind bars.

The last photos posted on Adams' social media accounts shows him visiting Machu Picchu -- a popular tourist destination in Peru on the Inca Trail.

Local media quoted anti-drug prosecutor Lincoln Fuentes as saying it was not the first time the model had taken drugs out of the country.

A UK Foreign Office spokesperson said it was "supporting a British man who was arrested in Peru" and was "in contact with the local authorities". — BBC