An American woman yesterday admitted in Magistrates Court that she smuggled over $24,000 worth of cocaine into Bermuda inside her body.

Yolanda Larkins, 21, pleaded guilty to cocaine importation before Acting Senior Magistrate Carlisle Greaves.

Crown counsel Juan Wolffe told the court Larkins arrived in Bermuda on October 1 on a flight from the United States.

When she reached Customs, her bags were searched.

Mr. Wolffe said Larkins began acting nervously and was caught lying about a hotel reservation, and officers decided to conduct a full body search.

During that search a Customs officer spotted what appeared to be a condom-like object in her vagina, and Larkins was sent to the hospital to have X-rays taken.

Three packages were found concealed inside her body which turned out to contain 82.2 grams of cocaine.

Mr. Wolffe told the court the drugs had a street value of $24,375.

Larkins claimed she had been recruited in Alabama by a Bermudian female to carry the drugs to Bermuda.

She said she was offered between $3,000 and $5,000 to act as a mule.

Larkins was not sentenced in Magistrates' Court yesterday, as her case was adjourned after her lawyer Larry Scott asked for time to allow her family members to travel to Bermuda.

Mr. Greaves adjourned the matter until October 27.