Latest news with #TaylorTamaraSimone
BBC News
5 days ago
- BBC News
Brits Jailed in Zimbabwe for smuggling cannabis
A 19-year-old man and 21-year-old woman have been sentenced to nine years in a Zimbabwean prison for drug Darlin Elisha and Taylor Tamara Simone, both British nationals, were arrested at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport in in Zimbabwe say the couple were stopped after looking "suspicious" coming off a flight from Thailand, which led to them being searched. Authorities claim more than 66kg (145lb) of cannabis was found "hidden" in four suitcases. The pair were each sentenced to nine years in prison, with three years suspended on the condition of good asked about the case, the UK Foreign Office told BBC Newsbeat it is "helping" two British nationals who are detained in Zimbabwe, and is "in contact with the local authorities".The UK government warns that carrying illegal drugs through Zimbabwe can "carry severe penalties". It follows a number of reports of Brits being arrested for alleged drug smuggling involving Thailand in the past year.A 24-year-old British woman, Cameron Bradford, has been given a two-year suspended sentence at a court in Germany for trafficking drugs from the July 2024, more than 50 British nationals have been arrested in Thailand for attempted cannabis smuggling. It comes after a new deal between the British and Thai customs after a surge of illegal cannabis shipments to the UK. Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Police shame British drugs mules by making them pose for photos with suitcases
Tihaise Darlin Elisha, 19, and Taylor Tamara Simone, 21, have been sentenced to nine years behind bars in a Zimbabwean prison after being caught with 53 packets of cannabis in their suitcases Two British drug mules have been locked up abroad after being caught carrying suitcases packed with cannabis. Tihaise Darlin Elisha, 19, and Taylor Tamara Simone, 21, were swooped upon by police and charged with unlawful dealing in dangerous drugs after being found with 65.41kg of cannabis at Zimbabwe 's Robert Mugabe International Airport on May 1. Photographs taken afterwards by police showed them sullen-faced and posing with their luggage. Today, they were each sentenced to nine years in prison after being convicted of the offences at Harare Magistrates' Court. They are set to serve six, after a judge suspended part of their sentence on condition of behaviour. It comes after a woman, 20, was found dead on bus with 26 iPhones glued to her body. Zimbabwe's prosecution service said detectives singled out the pair as they left the Ethiopian Airways flight from Thailand after observing "suspicious behaviour". Four red and brown suitcases were then searched, and found to contain 53 packets of cannabis. A National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson said: "The couple arriving aboard Ethiopian Airways Flight ET 873 were flagged by detectives from the CID Drugs and Narcotics after suspicious behaviour and intelligence led to a successful search of their four suitcases. "The search uncovered a total of 53 packets of cannabis hidden in red and brown luggage, tagged names of the offenders." The statement added: "No matter your nationality, the law will catch up with you. Airports are not gateways for crime." A spokesperson from the Foreign Office told the Mirror: 'We are supporting two British nationals who are detained in Zimbabwe and are in contact with the local authorities.' It comes after three British drug mules who smuggled £300,000 worth of cocaine into Bali stuffed in packets of Angel Delight were given a last-minute reprieve. Lisa Stocker, 39, her partner, Jon Collyer, 39, and accomplice Phineas Float were handed just a year in prison after fearing they could face execution under Indonesia's strict anti-drugs laws. They are set to be deported at the end of their sentences. A total of 992 grams of the Class A drug was found concealed across 10 sachets of Angel Delight in Collyer's luggage, along with 7 similar sachets in his partner's suitcase. Stocker and Collyer, from East Sussex, had journeyed from England via Qatar and were detained following a standard X-ray bag inspection upon arrival in Bali on February 1. Police later arrested Phineas Ambrose Float, 31, after a controlled operation which saw the other two suspects hand the drugs to him at the Grand Mas Airport Hotel carpark in Denpasar. The group managed to slip past Indonesian authorities twice before, but were caught on their third attempt, said Ponco Indriyo, the deputy director of the Bali Police Narcotics Unit.
The Irish Sun
6 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Yet more Brit drug mules caught as pair, 19 & 21, jailed for 6 YEARS after being found with 150lbs of cannabis in case
TWO young Brits have been jailed for six years each for smuggling nearly 70kg of cannabis out of Thailand stashed in their luggage. Tihaise Darlin Elisha, 19, and Taylor Tamara Simone, 21, were swooped on by staff at an airport in Zimbabwe in May - two amongst a slew of Brit arrested on international drugs smuggling charges recently. 6 Tihaise Darlin Elisha, 19, pictured with one of the suitcases carrying cannabis Credit: Newsflash 6 Taylor Tamara Simone, 21, with a large number of bags of drugs piled up Credit: Newsflash 6 The pair were convicted of drugs smuggling and sentenced to six years in prison each Credit: You Tube/ZimpapersDigital Security officers at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport in Harare noticed the pair acting suspiciously on May 1, so yanked them aside. A search of their luggage found that four Monarch suitcases were completely stuffed with weed. Police found 53 packets containing a total of 66kg of loose skunky cannabis, known locally as "dagga". The red and brown cases were tagged with the young Brits' names. read more in world news HOLS TRAGEDY Brit, 18, collapses in mum's arms and dies after allergic reaction on holiday Three months later, the pair have been found guilty of drugs trafficking by the Harare Magistrates' Court, according to Zimbabwe's national prosecutor. Each was sentenced to nine years in prison, with three years suspended on condition of good behaviour. The National Prosecuting Authority warned that the country maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward transnational drug trafficking, saying: "The law will catch up with offenders, no matter their nationality. "Airports are not gateways for crime." The number of Brits arrested for international drugs smuggling has exploded in recent months. Many of those have flown out from Thailand - and a few cases have made international headlines. Charlotte May Lee fears being locked away for 20yrs over £1.2m Sri Lanka drugs bust – & is 'aware' of Bella Culley case Bella May Culley, 19, was arrested in Georgia in May after allegedly bundling a large cannabis stash out of the Kingdom - and is awaiting trial. The teen claimed she had been "forced under torture" by a Brit drug gang in Thailand to carry the haul through the airport, heading for Tbilisi. Charlotte May Lee, 21, faces a similar situation after being arrested in Sri Lanka, allegedly with around £1.2million worth of cannabis in her suitcases, also in May. Former flight attendant Charlotte, from south London, has yet to be charged but is still holed up at a jail in Negombo on the west coast. 6 Brit teen Bella Culley was arrested in Georgia after allegedly smuggling a stash of cannabis out of Thailand Credit: Facebook 6 Charlotte faces a long stay behind bars before she is sentenced Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 6 21-year-old mum Cameron Bradford has been accused of smuggling cannabis in her bags And a young British mum, Cameron Bradford, 21, was nabbed in Munich in April for allegedly smuggling the marijuana as well. In February, British and Thai authorities collaborated with Operation Chaophraya - which was cracked down specifically on smugglers attempting to post cannabis from Thailand to the UK. This results in the arrest of over 50 Brits in Thailand. Other networks have been uprooted, such as 11 Brits nabbed in March in relation to large-scale smuggling through the airport on the island of Koh Samui. A month later, Thai police caught Adel Mohammed in Bangkok, who they suspect of pulling the strings behind the operation.
Scottish Sun
6 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Yet more Brit drug mules caught as pair, 19 & 21, jailed for 6 YEARS after being found with 150lbs of cannabis in case
These Brits at least learned their punishments - unlike dozens still awaiting trial around the world for drugs smuggling charges SMUGGLE HELL Yet more Brit drug mules caught as pair, 19 & 21, jailed for 6 YEARS after being found with 150lbs of cannabis in case TWO young Brits have been jailed for six years each for smuggling nearly 70kg of cannabis out of Thailand stashed in their luggage. Tihaise Darlin Elisha, 19, and Taylor Tamara Simone, 21, were swooped on by staff at an airport in Zimbabwe in May - two amongst a slew of Brit arrested on international drugs smuggling charges recently. Advertisement 6 Tihaise Darlin Elisha, 19, pictured with one of the suitcases carrying cannabis Credit: Newsflash 6 Taylor Tamara Simone, 21, with a large number of bags of drugs piled up Credit: Newsflash 6 The pair were convicted of drugs smuggling and sentenced to six years in prison each Credit: You Tube/ZimpapersDigital Security officers at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport in Harare noticed the pair acting suspiciously on May 1, so yanked them aside. A search of their luggage found that four Monarch suitcases were completely stuffed with weed. Police found 53 packets containing a total of 66kg of loose skunky cannabis, known locally as "dagga". The red and brown cases were tagged with the young Brits' names. Advertisement read more in world news HOLS TRAGEDY Brit, 18, collapses in mum's arms and dies after allergic reaction on holiday Three months later, the pair have been found guilty of drugs trafficking by the Harare Magistrates' Court, according to Zimbabwe's national prosecutor. Each was sentenced to nine years in prison, with three years suspended on condition of good behaviour. The National Prosecuting Authority warned that the country maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward transnational drug trafficking, saying: "The law will catch up with offenders, no matter their nationality. "Airports are not gateways for crime." Advertisement The number of Brits arrested for international drugs smuggling has exploded in recent months. Many of those have flown out from Thailand - and a few cases have made international headlines. Charlotte May Lee fears being locked away for 20yrs over £1.2m Sri Lanka drugs bust – & is 'aware' of Bella Culley case Bella May Culley, 19, was arrested in Georgia in May after allegedly bundling a large cannabis stash out of the Kingdom - and is awaiting trial. The teen claimed she had been "forced under torture" by a Brit drug gang in Thailand to carry the haul through the airport, heading for Tbilisi. Advertisement Charlotte May Lee, 21, faces a similar situation after being arrested in Sri Lanka, allegedly with around £1.2million worth of cannabis in her suitcases, also in May. Former flight attendant Charlotte, from south London, has yet to be charged but is still holed up at a jail in Negombo on the west coast. 6 Brit teen Bella Culley was arrested in Georgia after allegedly smuggling a stash of cannabis out of Thailand Credit: Facebook 6 Charlotte faces a long stay behind bars before she is sentenced Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Advertisement 6 21-year-old mum Cameron Bradford has been accused of smuggling cannabis in her bags And a young British mum, Cameron Bradford, 21, was nabbed in Munich in April for allegedly smuggling the marijuana as well. In February, British and Thai authorities collaborated with Operation Chaophraya - which was cracked down specifically on smugglers attempting to post cannabis from Thailand to the UK. This results in the arrest of over 50 Brits in Thailand. Advertisement Other networks have been uprooted, such as 11 Brits nabbed in March in relation to large-scale smuggling through the airport on the island of Koh Samui. A month later, Thai police caught Adel Mohammed in Bangkok, who they suspect of pulling the strings behind the operation.
The Sun
6 days ago
- The Sun
Yet more Brit drug mules caught as pair, 19 & 21, jailed for 6 YEARS after being found with 150lbs of cannabis in case
TWO young Brits have been jailed for six years each for smuggling nearly 70kg of cannabis out of Thailand stashed in their luggage. Tihaise Darlin Elisha, 19, and Taylor Tamara Simone, 21, were swooped on by staff at an airport in Zimbabwe in May - two amongst a slew of Brit arrested on international drugs smuggling charges recently. 6 6 6 Security officers at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport in Harare noticed the pair acting suspiciously on May 1, so yanked them aside. A search of their luggage found that four Monarch suitcases were completely stuffed with weed. Police found 53 packets containing a total of 66kg of loose skunky cannabis, known locally as "dagga". The red and brown cases were tagged with the young Brits' names. Three months later, the pair have been found guilty of drugs trafficking by the Harare Magistrates' Court, according to Zimbabwe's national prosecutor. Each was sentenced to nine years in prison, with three years suspended on condition of good behaviour. The National Prosecuting Authority warned that the country maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward transnational drug trafficking, saying: "The law will catch up with offenders, no matter their nationality. The number of Brits arrested for international drugs smuggling has exploded in recent months. Many of those have flown out from Thailand - and a few cases have made international headlines. Bella May Culley, 19, was arrested in Georgia in May after allegedly bundling a large cannabis stash out of the Kingdom - and is awaiting trial. The teen claimed she had been "forced under torture" by a Brit drug gang in Thailand to carry the haul through the airport, heading for Tbilisi. Charlotte May Lee, 21, faces a similar situation after being arrested in Sri Lanka, allegedly with around £1.2million worth of cannabis in her suitcases, also in May. Former flight attendant Charlotte, from south London, has yet to be charged but is still holed up at a jail in Negombo on the west coast. 6 6 6 And a young British mum, Cameron Bradford, 21, was nabbed in Munich in April for allegedly smuggling the marijuana as well. In February, British and Thai authorities collaborated with Operation Chaophraya - which was cracked down specifically on smugglers attempting to post cannabis from Thailand to the UK. This results in the arrest of over 50 Brits in Thailand. Other networks have been uprooted, such as 11 Brits nabbed in March in relation to large-scale smuggling through the airport on the island of Koh Samui. A month later, Thai police caught Adel Mohammed in Bangkok, who they suspect of pulling the strings behind the operation. Why Brit backpackers are prime targets, Thai cop reveals By Patrick Harrington Police Lieutenant Colonel Arun Musikim, Deputy Inspector of the Surat Thani province police force, said: 'Cases involving British nationals smuggling cannabis have been around for a while. 'Initially most incidents happened at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok. But as arrests increased, the security tightened inspections, making it harder for smugglers to operate. 'So they began looking for smaller airports with international flights, which is why they started using Koh Samui, as it operates international flights while still being a very small airport. 'There are a lot of codeshare flights with major airlines that have international transfers in Bangkok where the suitcases are moved between planes and not checked. Then the flights go to the UK. 'Phuket is another airport with international flights to Europe but the airport is bigger and security is more advanced. 'There is a lot of cannabis grown on Thailand's islands in the south because the climate is suitable and it is legal. A lot of gangs are attracted to this. 'There are now various smuggling methods that we have seen. Some carry it themselves, some hire backpackers, and some send it via mail. 'This year, there have been many cases we have intercepted. Most involve British and Malaysian nationals. 'It's easy for British citizens to travel as they can enter Thailand and return to the UK without needing a visa. 'Most of the smugglers are people hired to carry the cannabis, similar to how tourists might smuggle tax-free goods. 'They're usually unemployed individuals from the UK. The gangs offer them flights, pocket money and hotel stays, just to come and travel and take a bag back home with them. 'These people often have poor social standing at home and are looking for ways to earn quick money. They find them through friends or on social media. 'The average age is mostly young adults, though not all. There are men, women, and even people with disabilities, all posing as backpackers visiting Thailand for a holiday. 'Many will go to festivals or parties while they are here, just like they are having a normal trip abroad. 'Upon further investigation, we found that the gangs behind this are entirely based in the UK. The payment varies — some are paid to carry in exchange for clearing debts owed to these gangs. 'Wages differ. Some get £3,000 to £5,000, some only £2,000, and others just have flight tickets and some pocket money. Some accept the chance to have a holiday that is paid for. 'They are told that it is easy and they will not be caught. Then the amount the organisers can sell the cannabis for in the UK is much higher than it costs in Thailand. 'Police suspect that there are multiple employers and groups receiving the drugs on the other end. The cannabis then enters the UK market. 'To stop this network, immigration police have coordinated with customs, the Ministry of Public Health, and airport officials. 'In Surat Thani, several people have already been sentenced, some received four months, the longest was six months, depending on the court's decision. 'Some confessed and carried small amounts and were sentenced to four months. Others who recruited, managed, or transported large amounts received six months. 'Currently, there are fewer cases on Koh Samui because of our strict enforcement. Tourists are now looking for other routes instead. 'We are being vigilant to ensure there are no routes out of the country.'
