The Larnaca criminal court has sentenced a 25-year-old man to 12 years in prison after his arrest over the illegal importation of 19 kgs of cannabis on June 4, police said on Wednesday.

The man was arrested at Larnaca international airport after a luggage inspection during which 44 nylon bags containing an approximate total gross weight of 24 kgs of cannabis were found.

After an information assessment the customs department stopped the man for inspection, in a joint effort with the Cyprus police.

The passenger, an Australian national, who arrived in Cyprus from Thailand via the United Arab Emirates, was stopped after an X-ray because of concerns over the contents of his luggage.

The final checked weight of the detected cannabis was 19 kgs, and following a physical examination, the 25-year-old was arrested, while the drugs were confiscated by the officers at the customs department.