A hapless drugs smuggler who complained to doctors of stomach pains was found to have 600 grams of cocaine hidden in his intestines, French prosecutors said on Tuesday.

Suffering from intense pain, the man – who has yet to be identified – presented himself at his local hospital in the town of Le Creusot in central France and was whisked off for an emergency operation.

According to prosecutors, the surgeon made the shock discovery while operating on the unconscious patient, discovering that the source of his pain was the contraband in sealed plastic packages blocking his intestines.

Hospital staff immediately alerted the police.

The patient, who remains in hospital recovering from his operation, admitted that he had recently returned from South America where he had ingested the drugs hoping to make a profit on his return to France.

France24