British man 'arrested in Peru with 32kg of cocaine'

A British man has reportedly been arrested in Peru after allegedly being caught with more than 32kg of cocaine.

The man was arrested in a shopping mall in Lima, according to reports.

Police officers found 31 brick-type packages containing around 32kg of cocaine hydrochloride inside a suitcase, Peru's Ministerio Publico said in a Facebook post.

It said the man was detained while the case was being investigated by the country's drug trafficking division.

An FCO spokeswoman said: "We are providing consular assistance to a British national arrested in Peru and are in contact with the local authorities."

In 2013, Michaella McCollum and Melissa Reid were caught trying to smuggle 24lb (11kg) of cocaine worth £1.5 million out of Peru.

The pair were jailed for six years and eight months after admitting the crime but were freed in 2016 after striking a deal with Peruvian authorities.

Additional reporting by the Press Association