A 22-year-old man from Geneva will serve eight years and eight months in prison for drug trafficking – 21 kilograms of cocaine worth 4.5 million Swiss francs were found in his suitcase.

A 22-year-old Swiss man was sentenced today to eight years and eight months in prison for drug trafficking, including at least four years and ten months of imprisonment, as determined by the judge. The Geneva native faced life imprisonment for travelling from Los Angeles to Melbourne in early January with a suitcase full of cocaine. He had been in pre-trial detention since then. According to the indictment, he had no previous criminal record.

The Australian Federal Police had charged him with importing and possessing a commercial quantity of cocaine. The 21 kilograms of white powder found in his suitcase contained approximately 15 kilograms of pure cocaine, equivalent to 125,000 doses, with an estimated value of 4.5 million Swiss francs.

In addition to the large quantity of drugs, the judge took into account factors such as the defendant’s age. ‘He has his whole life ahead of him,’ the magistrate said in a video released by the court, addressing the Geneva man. The court believes that the defendant’s chances of rehabilitation are very high.

The fact that he admitted his guilt was considered a sign of remorse and contributed to a reduction in his prison sentence, the judge explained. In a letter sent to the court, the defendant spoke of a ‘moment of thoughtlessness’ and apologised for his behaviour. The magistrate said he believed the Geneva man when he said he never wanted to hurt anyone.