'Frail' Brit, 79, faces time in Chile prison after crystal meth found in luggage
Police estimate the methamphetamine would have been worth around £200,000 on Chilean streets
A British 'typical grandad' who allegedly attempted to smuggle five kilos of methamphetamine into Chile says he was promised a £3,000,000 reward.
The unnamed 79-year-old flew in to Santiago from the Mexican city of Cancun, and was preparing to make his way to Australia.
But he was detained after cops allegedly found him travelling with powerful crystal meth worth £200,000 in a hidden compartment.
The pensioner has claimed he had no idea how the five kilos of methamphetamine ended up in his luggage.
Speaking to authorities in English, the British tourist said he had been deceived and was handed the suitcase at Cancun airport.
He claimed he was promised $5,000,000 (£3,714,600) to deliver the suitcase to its final destination.
The Brit even produced a certificate with the prize money pledge before being remanded into custody.
Sergio Paredes, head of the Chilean PDI police force's Anti-Narcotics Division at Santiago's international airport, said: 'This case has its peculiarities.
'A frail-looking, elderly person being caught with a large amount of methamphetamine who had recently been operated on and still had scars from that medical intervention and looked like a typical grandad if I'm going to be honest.
'I always say anyone could be a potential drug smuggler. That's the philosophy we work off here.
'The false bottom in the British pensioner's suitcase where the drugs had been hidden was filled full. It couldn't have held any more methamphetamine.
'We believe he was a drug mule in the pay of a criminal gang.
Brits arrested on suspicion of drug smuggling Bella May Culley arrested in Georgia for allegedly smuggling 14kg of cannabis from Thailand after flying in on May 10
Charlotte May Lee arrested in Colombo two days later after police found 46 kilos of kush synthetic cannabis in her luggage
Browne-Frater Chyna Ja arrested on May 18 in Ghana accused of attempting to bring up to 18kg of cannabis into UK
Owusu Williams Christian arrested at same airport en-route to Dubai, allegedly with 92 slabs of drugs weighing 54kg in his bags
Unnamed couple detained in Spain on May 5 after 32kg of cannabis was discovered in two suitcases
Unnamed pensioner, 79, arrested in Chile after allegedly attempting to smuggle five kilos of methamphetamine
'We're still looking into where the drugs came from and where they were going to end up.'
The man is being kept at Santiago 1 Penitentiary alongside mostly non-violent offenders.
He can be held there for 120 days before he needs to be formally charged by investigators.
Initial reports pointed to a possible 15-year prison sentence if convicted, but Chilean legal experts have said five years behind bars is more likely.
The pensioner is far from the only British traveller allegedly caught up in a murky web of organised crime.
Bella May Culley sparked a massive international search operation in early May after she was reported missing while she was believed to be holidaying in Thailand.
Charlotte May Lee, a British former TUI cabin crew member who has been arrested in a Sri Lankan airport after police discovered 46 kilos of 'Kush'
But it was later revealed that the 18-year-old from Billingham, Durham, had been arrested 4,000 miles away on drug offences in Georgia, allegedly carrying 14 kilos of cannabis.
And recently 21-year-old Charlotte Lee May, from Coulsdon, south London, was arrested in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo after police discovered 46 kilos of 'Kush' – a synthetic strain of cannabis – in her suitcase.
The former flight attendant, who faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted, is claiming she had 'no idea' about the drugs and insisting they must have been planted in her luggage without her knowledge.
Bella May Culley went missing in Thailand before it emerged that she had been arrested on suspicion of drug offences in Georgia (Picture: Facebook)
Dr James Windle, of the Department of Sociology and Criminology, University College Cork, gave an insight into the ruthless tactics used by the traffickers to recruit mules.
'Larger, more sophisticated groups are very good at identifying people who might be open to exploitation,' he told Metro.
'At first it might be consensual, with the person targeted being offered something they value, be it money, a holiday or something connected to an addiction.
'There will very often be a grooming process where they might say a person has to go somewhere to pay for their holiday, with the flights paid for.
'If they try and back out then they might say, here's a photograph of someone you love or even something as subtle as, 'you know we're very dangerous — only joking.'
'Sometimes it takes the mules months, even years, to realise how they have been manipulated.'
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
Arrow MORE: Hooded men slash care workers' tyres and smash their windows in terrifying CCTV footage
Arrow MORE: British man arrested in the US is accused of spying for China
Arrow MORE: Two shot dead at popular Irish pub in Costa del Sol holiday resort
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South Wales Guardian
an hour ago
- South Wales Guardian
Madeleine McCann: Latest search sees teams drain well and clear dense vegetation
German investigators along with Portuguese police officers and firefighters are working in a little-developed area of countryside a few miles from Praia da Luz where Madeleine was last seen in 2007. Then aged three, she vanished while on holiday with her family in the Algarve resort after her parents went out to dinner and left her sleeping in a room with her toddler twin siblings. Journalists were being kept a distance away from the search sites on Tuesday and a no-fly zone was imposed that stopped the used of drones, although some activity could be seen as teams used strimmers, pick-axes, shovels and chainsaws to clear the undergrowth and debris surrounding an abandoned building. Personnel wore safety gear such as gloves and hard hats as they worked in the dense vegetation, and firefighters and police were seen using a yellow hose to drain a well. Around a dozen officers focused on one abandoned building where digging was taking place, while another member of the search team cleared large rocks. The Sun reported that investigators are also planning to use radar equipment that can scan beneath the ground. TV footage showed two Portuguese police officers guarding the end to a narrow lane that leads through an area of fields and scrubland with a few houses and a vineyard. It has been variously reported that investigators will look where trenches were dug near the resort at the time of Madeleine's disappearance, at wells, ruins and water tanks, and that there are plans to examine 21 pieces of land. The search is being carried out at the request of the German federal police as they look for evidence that could implicate prime suspect Christian Brueckner, who is in prison for raping a 72-year-old woman in Praia da Luz in 2005. He is due to be released from jail in September if no further charges are brought. Ulrich Oppold, a journalist from German broadcaster RTL, visited Brueckner in prison in Germany, who said if he gets out of jail the thing he is most looking forward to is a steak with a beer. Brueckner refused to answer any questions relating to Madeleine after discussions with his lawyers. He told the journalist that if he does get out of jail he will have to lie low as he is so well known. Brueckner described himself as 'bekannt wie ein bunter Hund' – which literally translated is 'as well-known as a colourful dog'. In October last year, Brueckner was cleared by a German court of unrelated sexual offences alleged to have taken place in Portugal between 2000 and 2017. Around 30 German police officers, including forensic experts, are expected to take part in the search along with Portuguese officers, with the activity due to last until Friday. The Metropolitan Police said it is aware of the operation but that British officers will not be present. German investigators and Portuguese officers last carried out searches in the country in 2023 near the Barragem do Arade reservoir, about 30 miles from Praia da Luz. Brueckner, who spent time in the area between 2000 and 2017, had photographs and videos of himself near the reservoir. It was previously searched in 2008, when Portuguese lawyer Marcos Aragao Correia paid for specialist divers to search it after he claimed to have been tipped off by criminal contacts that Madeleine's body was there. British police were later given permission to examine scrubland near where she vanished in 2014. Last month, Madeleine's family, who are from Rothley in Leicestershire, marked the 18th anniversary of her disappearance, describing her as 'beautiful and unique' before her 22nd birthday, and expressing their determination to keep searching. A statement from her parents Kate and Gerry McCann and the family said: 'The years appear to be passing even more quickly and whilst we have no significant news to share, our determination to 'leave no stone unturned' is unwavering. We will do our utmost to achieve this.' In April, ministers approved more than £100,000 in additional funding for Scotland Yard detectives investigating Madeleine's disappearance.
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Military expert gives chilling British 'civil war' warning over 'feral cities'
British cities are at risk of becoming 'feral' and could even descend into civil war over the next few years, a military expert has warned A military expert has warned that British cities could fall into a state of 'civil war' within five years because a breakdown in law and order. David Betz, Professor of War in the Modern World in the Department of War Studies at King's College London, cautioned that the UK and France are among the nations likely to struggle to maintain peace in the years ahead due to a multitude of social and economic issues - creating the risk of so-called "feral cities". It follows the shocking riots that gripped Paris after PSG's victory in the Champions League at the weekend, which left two dead and hundreds injured. Distressing footage from the French capital showed frightened women cowering inside their cars as mobs of out-of-control football fans smashed windows and set fire to nearby vehicles. And in Britain, a report released last month cautioned that authorities must be much swifter in tackling misinformation on social media to avoid a repeat of last year's riots, which followed the murders of three young girls at a dance class in Southport. Writing in in the latest issue of Military Strategy Magazine, Professor Betz argued that governments across the Western world have been "losing the ability to peacefully manage multicultural societies", leaving them open to mass disorder and potential civil war". He added: "The initial result is an accelerating descent of multiple major cities into marginally 'feral' status". In another part of the essay, Professor Betz predicted that the "countries that are most likely to experience the outbreak of violent civil conflict are Britain and France" - but said that other parts of Europe and the United States could also be at risk "It must be assumed that if civil war breaks out in one place it is likely to spread elsewhere", he added. Hundreds arrested after deadly PSG riots Clashes between police and supporters on Saturday began long before PSG's thumping 5-0 victory over Inter Milan had even finished, with officers deploying a water cannon on the Champs-Elysees at half-time. Ugly scenes later in the night saw drivers attacked in their cars, vehicles torched and shops looted, with over 200 people injured and two killed in gatherings connected to the post-match celebrations. A 17-year-old boy was stabbed to death in the western city of Dax during a street party after the final, the national police service said, and in Paris, a man in his 20s was killed when his scooter was hit by a car during PSG celebrations. A police officer was also hit accidentally by fireworks at a PSG fan gathering in northwest France, and placed in an artificial coma because of severe eye injuries. More than 500 people were arrested by police in connection with the disorder. Reacting to the initial reports of rioting Saturday night, France's Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau labelled the rioters "barbarians" and not "true PSG fans", adding: "It is unbearable that it is not possible to party without fearing the savagery of a minority of thugs who respect nothing." Smaller clashes between gangs of youths and police continued in the centre of Paris on Sunday.
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Peru Two's Michaella McCullum soaks in the Benidorm sun after telling of prison ‘horrors' awaiting Brit ‘smugglers'
McCollum says young Brits 'won't survive' prison as she recalls maggot-infested meals and cockroach-covered tables WISH PERU WERE HERE WISH PERU WERE HERE Peru Two's Michaella McCullum soaks in the Benidorm sun after telling of prison 'horrors' awaiting Brit 'smugglers' PERU Two's Michaella McCollum has been spotted soaking up the sun in Benidorm — just days after warning that Brit 'smugglers' Bella Culley and Charlotte Lee could face 'prison horrors' she wouldn't survive. The 31-year-old convicted drug mule was seen in a pink Louis Vuitton bikini enjoying the beach in Spain. 10 Peru Two's Michaella McCollum cools off in the sea in Benidorm Credit: Splash 10 The convicted drug mule shows off her curves after recent a boob job Credit: Splash 10 Michaella plays with a beach ball while soaking up the Spanish sunshine Credit: Splash 10 McCollum served three years in a hellish jail after smuggling £1.5million of cocaine into Peru in 2013 Credit: Splash The mum-of-two, who had a boob job at the end of last year, was pictured cooling off in the sea and playing with a ball on the sand. McCollum served three years in a hellish jail near Lima after she and pal Melissa Reid were busted smuggling £1.5million of cocaine into Peru in 2013. Now, after carving out a new life as a public speaker and influencer, she has opened up about her time behind bars — and issued a chilling warning to 18-year-old Culley and 21-year-old Lee. 'I could not do 20 years in a prison like that. I just couldn't. And that's what those girls are facing,' she said. Culley was caught earlier this month with a 31lb stash of cannabis and hashish at Tbilisi airport in Georgia — and told a court she's pregnant. She's being held in a Soviet-style clink ringed by watchtowers. Lee, from south London, is locked up in Sri Lanka after two suitcases packed with 46kg of super-strength kush were allegedly found in her hotel room. The potent synthetic drug is 25 times stronger than fentanyl. Friends say she's been denied medicine and is forced to 'have a glass of water poured over her head' to clean herself. Brit 'drug mule' Charlotte May Lee, 21, tears up as cops wheel £1.2m kush haul into court she 'didn't know was in case' 10 Michaella McCollum (L) entering the Sarita Colonia jail with a police escort in October, 2013 Credit: EPA 10 View of the containment areas of the Ancon 2 prison, where McCollum served her sentence Credit: AFP McCollum compared their ordeals to her own — and said she 'couldn't imagine' how pregnancy would complicate Culley's ordeal. 'As a mum, I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like to give birth in that sort of place, and to potentially have the child taken from you and put into care,' she said. 'That adds a whole new, terrifying, dimension. It's just incredibly sad.' Reflecting on her arrest at 19, McCollum said: 'The situation was almost exactly the same. 'Her mum had reported her missing, then it emerged that she'd been arrested. 'There were such parallels with my case – except it was just in a different country.' She added: 'They are 19 and 21. Whatever they have done, it's so young to be caught up in something like this, and I know what they are going to go through. 'And their families. It's the worst thing anybody can have to face.' 10 Bella May Culley was arrested on drug offences in Georgia Credit: Facebook 10 Bella pictured in court in Tbilisi after she was detained at the city's airport Credit: East2West Lee claimed she was duped by a mysterious Brit called 'Dan' who bought her a flight to Sri Lanka from Thailand — and then vanished. McCollum said she was also coerced — offered £5,000 to carry the drugs and manipulated by older men. 'At the time I was so high (on cocaine) that I could barely walk. Yet the men around me were all sober,' she said. 'I thought they were my friends, but actually they didn't give a s**t about me.' She added: 'It's easy to look at girls like this and think 'how could you be so stupid?' but I look back at myself and think exactly that. 'The vast majority were the victims of some sort of coercion, usually by men. 'Prisons all over the world are full of women who have been caught up in something like this.' The once notorious mule has now written a book, starred in a Netflix doc, and works with police to warn teens off drugs. With an estimated net worth close to £1million, she says: 'Even £50,000 isn't enough. No amount of money is worth your freedom.' 10 Part-time beautician Charlotte was arrested on May 12 after stepping off a flight to Sri Lanka from Thailand Credit: Sri Lanka Police
