Rome - A 24-year-old Dutch model was arrested in Sicily with more than a kilo of cocaine in her stomach, police said on Tuesday.

Originally from the Dominican Republic, the young woman had swallowed 98 ovules of the drug worth an estimated €1,2-million (about R10-million).

The arrest was made on Monday at Sicily's Catania airport, police said.

The model, who was taken to hospital but is out of danger, told police she was paid €4 000 to smuggle the cocaine to Sicily.

Customs police were suspicious because she flew in from Brussels without baggage, the police statement said.

The model, a frequent visitor to Catania, has posed for several top labels. - Sapa-AFP