An Islington woman is facing jail after she was caught trying to smuggle thousands of pounds of cocaine into the UK - by stashing it in her bra.

Bana Emmanuel, 24, hid thousands of pounds of the drug in the lining of her bra and handbag in an attempt to smuggle £40,000 of cocaine into the country.

Emmanuel was on her way home from a week-long holiday in Brazil when she was pulled over by border officers at Heathrow Airport.

Emmanuel, of Liverpool Road, flew in on Saturday September 14 from Sao Paulo, via Lisbon and was stopped as she landed.

The student was asked if she had been asked by anyone to bring something into the country at which point she admitted she was carrying more than 1kg of the drug.

A search revealed she had 830g of cocaine hidden in the padding of bra and a further 250g in her handbag.

Marc Owen, Border Force director at Heathrow, said: “This case should serve as a warning to anyone tempted to try to smuggle drugs. We will catch you and bring you before the courts.

“In making these seizures Border Force officers at Heathrow have taken a significant quantity of class A drugs out of circulation and prevented it from reaching the streets of the UK.

“Our officers are in the frontline of the fight to stop drugs, weapons, contraband and illegal immigrants entering the UK.

“Using the very latest technology, they are on constant alert to keep them out of the country.”

Emmanuel pleaded guilty to importation of a Class A drug when she appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates Court on Monday September 16.

She was remanded in custody and will be sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court on October 31.

Anyone with information about activity they suspect may be linked to drug smuggling can call UK Border Force on 0800 59 5000.