Austrian had 4kg meth in bag: court told

An Austrian man caught at Adelaide airport with drugs worth up to $4 million was a somewhat naive courier, a judge has been told.

Greg Mead SC said while Michael Bortoli had not disclosed the circumstances of the importation, the previously law-abiding citizen's financial gain would have been very modest.

"This is a case where a merciful non-parole period could be imposed," he told Judge Rauf Soulio in the South Australian District Court on Thursday.

Bortoli, 47, from Vienna, has pleaded guilty to importing a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug - four kilograms of methamphetamine - on September 16 last year.

Having checked his suitcase through to Adelaide, Bortoli travelled from Brussels via Frankfurt and Singapore.

The bag was randomly selected for an X-ray check in Adelaide, but when he emptied his belongings officers noticed the suitcase was still heavy and the drugs were found.

Police estimated the value of the drugs, which amounted to 40,000 streets deals, was between $2 million to $4 million, depending on its purity, said prosecutor John Clover.

"This drug would have posed havoc, if not detected," he said.

Judge Bortoli asked about text messages Bortoli received and sent to a number in Gambia during his trip.

Noting Bortoli faced a substantial jail term, he said it was in his interests to disclose the circumstances of his offending as it may well reflect his degree of culpability.

Mr Mead said his client had not given detailed information, but said he had met the person online, had spoken to the person on the phone, and the judge could infer an element of naivety was involved.

Mr Clover said Bortoli's naivety must be considered in the context of his age.

The case was adjourned to January 19.