A Colombian man was detained at Barcelona's worldwide airport after half a kilogram of cocaine was found hidden under an oversized toupee, Spanish police said on Tuesday.

He was stopped by police at the airport when he was seen acting suspiciously after flying from Bogota in Colombia.

A Colombian man who looked nervous coming out of his flight in Barcelona, Spain caught the attention of security officials not for his actions, but for his very unusual looking wig.

The man's toupee was removed during the search, and officers found a package stuck to his head.

The Colombian was detained at the end of June.

The 65-year-old man arrived at Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport from Bogotá, Columbia wearing a toupee that "protruded more than necessary", local media reported.

The arrests took place after the Colombians allegedly handed over the cocaine to Brit men at a shopping centre near Madrid.

The man in question has been charged with a crime against public health and is being held at the disposal of the competent judicial authority.