British drug mules warned of "excellent technology" used to snare traffickers
The Foreign Office has issued a fresh warning to British criminals vying to smuggle drugs through Germany and said the crime carries "severe penalties"
British drug mules vying to smuggle their illegal wares through Europe have been warned officials have "excellent technology" to snare traffickers.
The Foreign Office has updated its official guidance about carrying illegal drugs through Germany. It comes after it emerged a young mum was currently holed-up in a German prison cell accused of smuggling cannabis in her bags on a flight from Thailand. Glamorous Cameron Bradford, 21, from Knebworth, Herts, was detained at Munich Airport on April 21 as she tried to collect her luggage.
In an updated warning on the FCDO website to Brits travelling in Germany, officials say: "Illegal drugs, including cannabis, carry severe penalties. You should expect a long jail sentence and heavy fines for possessing, using or smuggling illegal drugs, including when transiting through the airport. Airports in Germany have excellent technology and security for detecting illegal items. This is also used to scan the baggage of transiting passengers."
Cameron's arrest comes amid a significant spike in Brits being caught trafficking drugs from Thailand and across the globe. A wave of arrests has exposed a disturbing and fast-growing trend: ordinary Brits - some young, some elderly, many with no previous criminal history - being allegedly swept up into international drug trafficking.
In just the past few months, UK citizens have been detained in Spain, Ghana, Sri Lanka, Germany, Indonesia, Chile, and the United States, often while carrying vast quantities of drugs in their luggage. Behind the arrests lies a chilling pattern: criminal networks are deliberately recruiting British nationals who fly under the radar, blending in as unsuspecting tourists or weary retirees.
With widespread access to global travel and no prior convictions, many are viewed by traffickers as ideal mules. Authorities say many Brits are being manipulated online - conned into transporting "gifts" or "business packages" by scammers, or coaxed into smuggling by the lure of fast cash, often after falling into financial hardship or debt.
Chris Hobbs, a former special branch officer who helped lead Operation Airbridge in 2002 - a high-profile UK crackdown on Jamaican cocaine mules - described the current trend as deeply disturbing.
'There's clearly been a shocking increase in the number of Brits being caught, which could be a result of the authorities profiling passengers differently," Hobbs told the Mirror. "We see criminals befriending young girls on a romantic basis and then asking them to do a favour. I don't know whether that's what's happening in Thailand or whether it's just the case that they are being persuaded with easy money.
'But if you talk to Border Force officers, they will also say that they're under-resourced and they know that there's a lot getting past them that they're not equipped to deal with. Catching cannabis traffickers in the UK is not a high priority, so those being caught really could just be the tip of the iceberg."
Among those to be arrested in recent weeks is bowls-loving OAP William 'Billy Boy' Eastment who was held at Santiago International Airport in Chile on May 18 after customs officers discovered over 5 kgs of methamphetamine concealed in the false bottom of a suitcase. The 79-year-old British pensioner had arrived on a flight from Cancun, Mexico. Authorities said the suitcase was flagged during routine screening, and the drugs were found after a secret compartment was opened.
Meanwhile Jon Collyer, 38, and Lisa Stocker, 39, were arrested at Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport in February after customs officers allegedly found 994 grams of cocaine in their possession. Authorities said the drugs were concealed inside their luggage. It is alleged that Collyer and Stocker were caught with 17 packages of cocaine, with a value of roughly £300,000, hidden in Angel Delight packets. Phineas Float, 31, was detained several days later and is alleged to have been the intended recipient of the drugs.
Elsewhere former flight attendant Charlotte Lee May, a 21-year-old from Coulsdon in south London, was arrested in May at Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo, Sri Lanka, after police allegedly discovered 46 kgs of synthetic cannabis, known locally as "Kush," in her luggage. May had reportedly arrived alone and was intercepted during a routine customs inspection. Authorities estimate the street value of the drugs to be around £1.2 million.
Bella May Culley, an 18-year-old from Billingham, Teesside, is facing up to nine months in pre-trial detention in Georgia after being arrested in the capital, Tbilisi, on suspicion of drug trafficking. She was charged with importing 12kg of marijuana and 2kg of hashish into the country. Before her arrest, Culley had been reported missing while believed to be holidaying in Thailand, prompting an international search effort. However, she was later found in Georgia, where she was detained by authorities. During a recent pre-trial hearing, Culley informed the court she is pregnant.
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