Latest news with #SantiagoAirport
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Daily Record
Customs officials find five kilos of drugs in UK pensioner's luggage
A suitcase allegedly belonging to the 79-year-old man was sliced opened at Santiago Airport in Chile. This is the moment Chilean customs officials sliced open a suitcase allegedly belonging to a 79-year-old British man and found five kilograms of methamphetamine stashed inside. Dramatic footage shows agents at Santiago Airport calmly cutting into the pensioner's luggage and uncovering a secret compartment packed with illicit drugs. The man, who has not been named, had just landed from Cancun, Mexico, and was booked to fly on to Sydney, Australia, after an overnight stay in the Chilean capital. Instead, the pensioner is now in Santiago's notorious Santiago 1 Prison after being charged with drug trafficking. Prosecutors say the meth haul had a potential street value of £200,000 in Chile, reports the Mirror. Pablo Alonso, a prosecutor from the Fiscalia Occidente, confirmed the man was formally charged under Article 3 of Chile's anti-drug legislation. 'Detention control is being carried out in relation to a British citizen who brought five kilos of methamphetamine into the country,' Alonso told The Mirror. 'Preventive detention is being requested, and the court has accepted it based on the background information. A 120-day investigation period has been granted.' The 79-year-old was intercepted after customs officers flagged his suitcase during routine airport screening. The bag was removed for inspection, where officers discovered a suspicious substance inside a hidden compartment. He was arrested on the spot. Cops say the man claimed Mexican nationals handed him the bag at Cancun airport. Santiago Airport police chief Sergio Paredes said: 'This person came from Mexico and, when he was taken to the anti-narcotics squad's airport offices, he said the suitcase had been received by some Mexican nationals at Cancun.' The Brit was taken before a judge, who approved the prosecution's request for pre-trial detention. A formal trial date has yet to be set, but prosecutors are working to determine whether the meth was intended for distribution in Chile or Australia. 'If convicted, the man will likely be sent to San Miguel Prison,' a Chilean justice official told The Mirror. 'That facility is used for anyone found guilty of importing drugs beyond what is considered for personal use.' San Miguel Prison is infamous for overcrowding and violent conditions. Designed to hold 900 inmates, it now houses over 2,000 men. In 2010, a fire sparked by a fight between inmates killed 81 people, drawing international condemnation and casting a harsh spotlight on Chile's prison system. 'Five kilograms of methamphetamine is far beyond what would qualify for a lesser sentence,' the official added. 'This kind of offence attracts up to 15 years in prison.' The case adds to a growing list of Brits arrested overseas on drug charges. Just last week, a British couple aged 33 and 34 were arrested at Valencia airport after cops found 33 kilograms of cannabis in their bags. In Ghana, a 23-year-old British woman was arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle 18 kilograms of cannabis onto a flight to Gatwick. Meanwhile, 18-year-old Bella May Culley, who was initially reported missing in Thailand, was found in custody in Georgia, allegedly busted with 14 kilograms of cannabis. And in Sri Lanka, 21-year-old Charlotte Lee May from south London was arrested after 46 kilograms of synthetic cannabis were found inside her suitcase. She now faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Moment customs officials cut into pensioner's luggage to make incredible find
The dramatic video, obtained by the Mirror, shows agents at Santiago Airport calmly slicing through the OAP's suitcase to uncover a secret compartment packed with methamphetamine This is the moment Chilean customs officials sliced open a suitcase allegedly belonging to a 79-year-old British man - only to find five kilograms of methamphetamine hidden inside. The dramatic video, obtained by the Mirror, shows agents at Santiago Airport calmly cutting into the pensioner's luggage and uncovering a secret compartment packed with illicit drugs. The man, who has not been named, had just landed from Cancun, Mexico, and was booked to fly on to Sydney, Australia, after an overnight stay in the Chilean capital. Instead, he now finds himself in Santiago's notorious Santiago 1 Prison after being charged with drug trafficking. Prosecutors say the meth haul had a potential street value of £200,000 in Chile.. Pablo Alonso, a prosecutor from the Fiscalia Occidente, confirmed the pensioner was formally charged under Article 3 of Chile's anti-drug legislation. 'Detention control is being carried out in relation to a British citizen who brought five kilos of methamphetamine into the country,' Alonso told The Mirror. 'Preventive detention is being requested, and the court has accepted it based on the background information. A 120-day investigation period has been granted.' The pensioner was intercepted after customs officers flagged his suitcase during routine airport screening. The bag was removed for inspection, where officers discovered a suspicious substance inside a hidden compartment. He was arrested on the spot. Police say the man claimed Mexican nationals handed him the bag at Cancun airport. Santiago Airport police chief Sergio Paredes said: 'This person came from Mexico and, when he was taken to the anti-narcotics squad's airport offices, he said the suitcase had been received by some Mexican nationals at Cancun.' The British citizen was taken before a judge, who approved the prosecution's request for pre-trial detention. A formal trial date has not yet been set, but prosecutors are working to determine whether the meth was intended for distribution in Chile or Australia. 'If convicted, the man will likely be sent to San Miguel Prison,' a Chilean justice official told The Mirror. 'That facility is used for anyone found guilty of importing drugs beyond what is considered for personal use.' San Miguel Prison is infamous for overcrowding and violence. Designed to hold 900 inmates, it now houses over 2,000 men. In 2010, a fire sparked by a fight between inmates killed 81 people, drawing international condemnation and casting a harsh spotlight on Chile's prison system. 'Five kilograms of methamphetamine is far beyond what would qualify for a lesser sentence,' the official added. 'This kind of offence attracts up to 15 years in prison.' The case adds to a growing list of British nationals arrested overseas on drug charges. Just last week, a British couple aged 33 and 34 were arrested at Valencia airport after police found 33 kilograms of cannabis in their bags. In Ghana, a 23-year-old British woman was arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle 18 kilograms of cannabis onto a flight to Gatwick. Meanwhile, 18-year-old Bella May Culley, who was initially reported missing in Thailand, was found in custody in Georgia, allegedly caught with 14 kilograms of cannabis. And in Sri Lanka, 21-year-old Charlotte Lee May from south London was arrested after 46 kilograms of synthetic cannabis were found in her suitcase. She faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Brit faces huge term in notorious hellhole jail if meth drug mule claim proved
The pensioner was held after leaving a flight from the Mexican resort of Cancun at Santiago Airport, where he had hoped to stay overnight and then catch a flight to Australia A British pensioner faces years in one of South America's most notorious prisons if convicted after allegedly being caught trying to smuggle five kilos of methamphetamine into Chile. The 79-year-old was held after leaving a flight from the Mexican resort of Cancun at Santiago Airport. After spending the night at a hotel in the Chilean capital, he was booked on a flight to Sydney, Australia, the following day. The unnamed pensioner was remanded in custody following a court appearance after a judge approved a prosecution request to send him to prison pending probable charges and trial. Cops say the drugs he was apprehended with would have been worth £200,000 on the streets of the South American country. An official told the Mirror that anyone, including a foreign national, found guilty of the importation of such a quantity of drugs would be sent to Santiago's brutal San Miguel Prison. The jail is notorious for its overcrowded conditions and a history of violence, including a deadly 2010 fire that killed 81 inmates. The fire, which began during a fight between inmates, highlighted the state of Chile's prison system. The prison was designed to house 900 inmates but holds up to 2,000 men. "Anyone found guilty of importing drugs into Chile beyond what is classed as for personal use is sentenced to serve their time at San Miguel,' the official said. "Five kilogrammes of methamphetamine is a quantity beyond what is acceptable for a lesser sentence, and if found guilty, the offence attracts up to 15 years in prison." The Brit was intercepted after his luggage was put through an airport scanner. The pensioner was asked to open his suitcase in front of police after they detected a 'suspicious' substance and cops discovered a secret compartment where the drugs had been police chief Sergio Paredes said it was the first time the arrested man had entered Chile. He said: 'This person came from Mexico and when he was arrested and taken to the anti-narcotics squad's airport offices, he said that the suitcase had been received by some Mexican nationals at Cancun airport. 'He was due to spend a night in a hotel in the centre of Santiago before boarding a flight to Sydney, Australia.' Mr Paredes said police were still investigating whether the drugs were due to remain in Chile or be taken to Australia. He added: 'Prosecutors are looking into this and trying to establish whether the drug was for internal consumption or was due to be transported by this British national to Australia.' Chilean customs officers released pictures of the drugs they had confiscated, saying: 'Customs officials intercepted a foreign citizen with more than five of kilos of methamphetamines hidden in a secret compartment in his luggage at Santiago Airport. 'He was stopped after his luggage was scanned and has been remanded in custody.' The drugs arrest is the latest in a series of similar recent apprehensions around the world involving British nationals, although most have been far younger than the man held in Chile. Yesterday it emerged a British couple aged 33 and 34 had been held at Valencia airport after police discovered 33 kilos of cannabis in their luggage. The pair claimed they were tourists coming from Thailand after they were intercepted as they got off a flight from France. A 23-year-old British woman in Ghana was arrested last week after being accused of attempting to bring up to 18kg of cannabis into the UK on a May 18 British Airways flight to Gatwick. Bella May Culley, 18, sparked a massive international search operation in early May after she was reported missing while she was believed to be holidaying in Thailand. However, it was later revealed that the teen, from Billingham, County Durham, had been arrested 4,000 miles away on drug offences in Georgia, allegedly carrying 30 pounds (14kg) of cannabis into the ex-Soviet nation. And recently 21-year-old Charlotte Lee May, from Coulsdon, south London, was arrested in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo after police discovered 46 kg of 'Kush' - a synthetic strain of cannabis - in her suitcase. The former flight attendant, facing up to 25 years in prison if convicted, is claiming she had 'no idea' about the drugs worth up to £1.2 million and insisting they must have been planted in her luggage without her knowledge.
NDTV
3 days ago
- NDTV
Elderly British Man, 79, Caught Smuggling Drugs Worth Over Rs 2 Crore In Chile
A British pensioner has been arrested in Chile for allegedly attempting to smuggle five kilos of methamphetamine, according to The Metro. The 79-year-old man arrived in Santiago from Cancun, Mexico, and was preparing to travel to Australia. Authorities detained him after a scanner detected a suspicious substance in his suitcase. Upon conducting a thorough search, officers found a concealed compartment in his luggage where the drugs were hidden. Police estimate that the methamphetamine would have been worth approximately 200,000 pounds (Rs 2.3 Crore) on the streets of Chile. Airport police chief Sergio Paredes said it was the first time the arrested man had entered Chile. He told The Metro: "This person came from Mexico, and when he was arrested and taken to the anti-narcotics squad's airport offices, he said that the suitcase had been received by some Mexican nationals at Cancun airport." The man was due to spend a night in a hotel in the capital before boarding a flight to Sydney. Paredes said police were still investigating whether the drugs were due to remain in Chile or be smuggled to Australia. He told local press: 'Prosecutors are looking into this and trying to establish whether the drug was for internal consumption or was due to be transported by this British national to Australia.' Chilean customs officers released pictures of the four packages they had confiscated, saying, "Customs officials intercepted a foreign citizen with more than five kilos of methamphetamines hidden in a secret compartment in his luggage at Santiago Airport." "He was stopped after his luggage was scanned and has been remanded in custody." Meanwhile, a string of recent arrests has highlighted the issue of British nationals getting caught up in international law enforcement for drugs smuggling. Examples include Bella May Culley, 18, from Billingham, and Charlotte May Lee, a former TUI flight attendant arrested in Sri Lanka with a substantial quantity of 'Kush'. The individual detained in Chile is older than many of those recently apprehended.
Metro
4 days ago
- Metro
British pensioner 'caught with five kilos of methamphetamine' at Chile airport
A British pensioner has been arrested in Chile after allegedly attempting to smuggle five kilos of methamphetamine. The 79-year-old had arrived on a flight from the Mexican city of Cancun, and was detained after a scanner detected a 'suspicious' substance in his suitcase. The unnamed man was intercepted after officers discovered a concealed compartment in his luggage where the drugs had been hidden. Police estimate the methamphetamine would have been worth around £200,000 on Chilean streets. Airport police chief Sergio Paredes said it was the first time the arrested man had entered Chile. He said: 'This person came from Mexico and when he was arrested and taken to the anti-narcotics squad's airport offices, he said that the suitcase had been received by some Mexican nationals at Cancun airport.' The man was due to spend a night in a hotel in the capital, Santiago, before boarding a flight to Sydney, Australia. Paredes said police were still investigating whether the drugs were due to remain in Chile or be smuggled to Australia. More Trending He told local press: 'Prosecutors are looking into this and trying to establish whether the drug was for internal consumption or was due to be transported by this British national to Australia.' Chilean customs officers released pictures of the four packages they had confiscated, saying: 'Customs officials intercepted a foreign citizen with more than five of kilos of methamphetamines hidden in a secret compartment in his luggage at Santiago Airport. 'He was stopped after his luggage was scanned and has been remanded in custody.' The drugs arrest is the latest in a series of similar recent apprehensions around the world involving British nationals, although most have been far younger than the man held in Chile. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Man 'cooked his Chihuahua puppy to death in oven because it wouldn't stop barking' MORE: London nightclub bouncer accused of rape 'used fake ID' to get job MORE: Man jailed for killing girl, 3, after taking '20 lines' of cocaine
