A South African tourist was arrested with four kilos of meth hidden in books at an airport in the Philippines.

Keith Charles Moore Koekemoer, 32, was detained after allegedly trying to smuggle the drugs through the Mactan-Cebu International Airport in Cebu, on Thursday.

The suspected drug mule arrived from Hong Kong at noon before he was flagged by customs personnel during an x-ray inspection.

Scans found the contraband tucked into several hardbound books. The illegal haul was estimated to be worth 27 million PHP (350,000 GBP).

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Central Visayas spokesman Leia Albiar said Keith was arrested after chemical testing confirmed the substance as methamphetamine.

During questioning, the South African claimed he had no knowledge he was carrying drugs in his luggage.

He said a friend had asked him to deliver the books to another contact upon arriving in Cebu.

Gerardo Campo, district port collector of the Bureau of Customs-Mactan, said the seized drugs were handed over to the PDEA for proper disposition.

Keith will face charges for violating the country's Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act, the PDEA said.

In a statement, Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Cindi King-Chan said: 'This achievement reminds us of our continued action against illegal drugs. This success is due to the cooperation of the Mactan Cebu International Airport, Bureau of Customs, PDEA, the National Bureau of Investigation, and the Lapu-Lapu City Government.

'I am pleased that this man was arrested at the airport, so that the drugs he was carrying will never enter our province. Let's not allow illegal drugs to ruin the future of our people especially the youth.'

(1 GBP = 77.43 PHP)