Court officials said British sailor was among five defendants caught trying to smuggle three tonnes of cannabis into Egypt

A British national has been sentenced to death in Egypt for being part of a multinational gang that plotted to smuggle a large amount of cannabis into the country, the Foreign Office has confirmed.

According to Egyptian court officials quoted by the Associated Press, the Briton, who is not named but has been described as a sailor, was handed a death sentence by a court in Red Sea province along with one co-defendant from Pakistan and three from the Seychelles. The court also imposed a fine of 85m Egyptian pounds (£8m).

The five were arrested on a ship near the Red Sea port of Marsa Alam in the process of trying to smuggle three tonnes of cannabis into the country.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said the government was "extremely concerned at the death sentence", saying the sentence had first been passed on 7 April and confirmed by the court on Monday.

She said: "We are opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances. Our consular team in Cairo are in contact with the British national involved and we will do our utmost to prevent this execution."