Latest news with #backpackers
The Sun
3 days ago
- Health
- The Sun
Blow to families after staff who served methanol laced drinks that killed Brit lawyer & 5 other backpackers in Laos FLEE
STAFF members who served a Brit backpacker and five other tourists deadly drinks laced with poison in Laos have sparked outrage by fleeing the country. The cruel twist came after Brit lawyer Simone White, 28, and five others died after consuming methanol-spiked vodka shots at the party hotspot last year. 5 5 5 According to the Herald Sun, at least two employees who were "detained" following the horrific ordeal have now fled Laos to neighbouring Vietnam. Tragic Simone was among five other backpackers who also lost their lives after drinking the same fatal beverages. Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles, both 19 and from Australia, as well as two young women from Denmark, Danes Anne-Sofie Orkild Coyman, 20, and Freja Vennervald Sorensen, 21, and American man James Louis Hutson, 57, were also killed. All of them were staying at the hostel along with 100 more guests. After hearing that two of the suspects had fled Laos, Bianca's dad told the Herald Sun: "We want the Australian Government to apply as much pressure as they can to bring justice to all those involved in the methanol poisoning of our girls, the Danish girl and the British girl in Laos." The group died after they consumed vodka and whiskey laced with deadly methanol at the Nana Backpackers hostel in the town of Vang Vieng last November. Simone was among the victims after she was rushed to hospital in a near paralytic state before being placed on life support for three days. Her mum Sue took a hellish 16-hour journey from Kent to Laos after hearing of her daughter's grave condition. She said she feared Simone would die after being called by the hospital who told her she needed emergency brain surgery. After arriving at Laos hospital Sue was given the devastating ultimatum over whether to leave her daughter on life support or not. Brit lawyer Simone White, 28, dies in 'methanol-laced alcohol poisoning' that left 4 others dead in backpacking hotspot Doctors refused to switch off the machine due to their religion - but told Sue she could do it herself. The distraught mum said she had to take a tube out of her dying daughter's mouth before making the incredibly painful and "traumatic" decision to switch off the machine. Simone's official cause of death was confirmed as a bleed on the brain, an inquest heard. No charges have been made six months after the fatal ordeal, despite Laotian authorities reportedly preparing charges for up to 13 people. The 13 suspects have been accused of violating food and health security, unlawful business operations and the elimination of evidence, according to the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs. It comes just weeks after the families of Bianca and Holly, who died from suspected methanol poisoning, slammed cops over "appalling" charges. 5 5 The two teens tragically died just days after the shocking incident. Holly's mother told 60 Minutes: "[The charges are] pretty appalling, I'd say pretty insulting.' Bianca's furious mum added: 'I think we're pretty furious about it … Food and beverage. "You know, that's like? What is that? We don't even know." The parents also said they had written to Laos Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone 'a million times'. The desperate parents claimed to have even contacted his wife, but still say they have not received a response. Why is methanol so deadly? By Sam Blanchard, Health Correspondent METHANOL is a super-toxic version of alcohol that may be present in drinks if added by crooks to make them stronger or if they are brewed or distilled badly. The consequences can be devastating because as little as a single shot of contaminated booze could be deadly, with just 4ml of methanol potentially enough to cause blindness. Prof Oliver Jones, a chemist at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, said: 'The body converts methanol to formic acid. 'Formic acid blocks the action of an enzyme that is critical to how the body uses oxygen to generate energy. 'If it stops working, cells cannot take up or use oxygen from the blood and lack of oxygen causes problems in a range of organs as the cells start to die. 'Symptoms of methanol poisoning include vomiting, seizures and dizziness. 'The optic nerve seems to be particularly vulnerable to methanol toxicity, so there is the potential for temporary or permanent blindness, and even death. 'While thankfully rare, methanol poisoning is very serious, and treatment should be given at a hospital.' An unexpected but key way of treating methanol poisoning is to get the patient drunk with normal alcohol - known as ethanol - to distract the liver and stop it processing the methanol.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Major update in case of lethal methanol poisoning that left two young Australian women dead
Two staff members at the backpackers hostel in Laos where six tourists died, including two Melbourne teenagers, have started working in hospitality in Vietnam. Best friends Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles, both 19, were visiting the tourist town of Vang Vieng in November when they suffered suspected methanol poisoning. The Australians were among dozens of tourists who were staying at the Nana Backpackers Hostel when they became sick after drinking at the venue's bar. It was revealed on Friday by The Daily Telegraph that a bartender and the hostel manager who worked at Nana Backpackers Hostel during the alleged poisoning have found jobs in Vietnam. The manager, who calls himself Pikachu, has been employed at a new hostel. 'I don't know, I go home to Vietnam. I have not gone back to Laos, I don't want to talk,' he said. Asked about staff at the hostel who were detained by police, he said: 'I have not gone back to Laos, I don't want to talk.' 'Maybe one day I go back to Laos but not for a long time. The hostel closed. I have no idea,' he said. Bianca and Holly were among six tourists who died due to the suspected poisoning at the hostel which has remained closed since the investigation was launched last year A profile photo on WhatsApp of the hostel's former bartender, Duang Doc Toan, showed he was working at the Azalea Hotel. Toan, who served Holly and Bianca Laotian vodka, claimed in November last year that it wasn't his Tiger Vodka that made the girls sick. He said he bought the alcohol from a certified distributor and insisted it had not been tainted by himself or his staff. To prove his point, the bartender drank from one of the vodka bottles that were in use on the night to prove it was safe. Ms Jones' father Mark said more needed to be done to address the deaths. 'We want the Australian Government to apply as much pressure as they can to bring justice to all those involved in the methanol poisoning of our girls, the Danish girl and the British girl in Laos,' he said. Eight men aged between 23 and 47 were taken into custody following arrests by police on November 25 as part of an investigation into the suspected poisonings. Among those arrested by Vang Vieng police were general staff and managers. There was no suggestion at the time that those detained were responsible for the tourists' deaths and no charges have been laid. A further five people, who were linked to the Tiger distillery, including the manufacturer of the drinks served, were also taken in for questioning. In February, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles told federal parliament that authorities in Laos declined the offer of assistance from Australian Federal Police in its investigation of the incident. He vowed that Australian authorities wouldn't drop the matter. 'I would want to assure the families of Bianca and Holly that we remain in contact with the Laos authorities and that the offer of assistance is being consistently offered,' he said. The teens' families said in a joint statement they were 'extremely disappointed' by the lack of updates. 'As the Laos government rejects any support from the AFP our confidence in accountability and justice for everyone affected remains unanswered,' it said. Nana Backpackers Hostel remains closed as the investigation continues.
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Health
- News.com.au
Laos backpackers staff who served the methanol laced-drinks flee country: report
An investigation into the methanol-laced drinks killings has revealed the two Laos backpackers staff who served the beverages have fled the country. According to a Herald Sun exclusive, at least two of the people 'detained' after the deaths of six people, including Melbourne teenagers Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones, at the Nana Backpackers are now in Vietnam. 'We want the Australian Government to apply as much pressure as they can to bring justice to all those involved in the methanol poisoning of our girls, the Danish girl and the British girl in Laos,' Ms Jones' father Mark told the publication after being told of the fleeings. Best friends Bianca and Holly were holidaying together through Southeast Asia when things took a horrific turn in Laos. The pair died after they consumed vodka and whiskey laced with deadly methanol at the Nana Backpackers hostel in the town of Vang Vieng in November last year. The teens were two of six tourists who died in the same week of methanol poisoning, including British lawyer Simone White, 28, Danes Anne-Sofie Orkild Coyman, 20, and Freja Vennervald Sorensen, 21, and American James Louis Hutson, 57. On 60 Minutes last Sunday, an update on the case of the mass poisoning was given by the grieving families of the teens. Almost six months on, no charges have been laid despite Laotian authorities reportedly preparing charges for up to 13 people connected to the calamity. The Australian Government also received a briefing that charges had been recommended. However, during the 60 Minutes interview, the mothers of Holly and Bianca slammed the proposed charges against those who were allegedly involved, saying they are sceptical that justice will ever be served for their daughters. Mrs Jones and Mrs Bowles said they had written to Laos Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone 'a million times'. They claim to have even contacted his wife. Still, they said they had had no response. Finally, almost two weeks ago the families received the news – not from Laos, but from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT) that charges have reportedly been recommended by local police against 13 people from Nana's Hostel and the Tiger distillery. The proposed charges include elimination of evidence, violation of food and health security and unlawful business operations. For Mr Jones and Mrs Bowles, the proposed charges are shockingly weak. 'Pretty appalling, I'd say pretty insulting,' Mrs Bowles fumed. Mrs Jones agreed, saying: 'I think we're pretty furious about it … Food and beverage. You know, that's like?' 'What is that? We don't even know,' Mrs Bowles continued. 'We know that there's no murder or manslaughter charges, which we feel there should be.' The mothers said their feeling was that those allegedly involved will simply get a slap on the wrist, and as are only 'going to be fined' if found guilty. Mrs Bowles explained: 'It's heart-breaking … Heart-breaking and just full of anger, frustration.' They believed that Laos authorities simply don't care. 'They don't care. They don't, life is nothing,' Mrs Bowles said. Speaking to Bethany Clarke — who became incredibly unwell from consuming methanol alongside Ms White, however survived the poisoning — agreed that the charges meant nothing and there was only one way of getting justice. 'I think the UK and Australia need to push forward with a travel ban [to Laos] because I don't think that it's fair for Laos to come up with these charges when they should be a lot heavier,' Ms Clarke said from Brisbane. 'The mass poisoning in itself, six people died and loads hospitalised [should be enough for a bigger charge]. 'I think that without a travel ban, I just don't think we will ever get anywhere. I don't know if Australia would ever do that, I understand it's drastic, but they just won't listen to us … and I can't see any other way.'
The Sun
22-05-2025
- The Sun
Brit drugs mules can't play the victim after flashing weed & cash online – they were conned by something very dangerous
NOW I don't know about you, but when it comes to funding my holiday, I tend to put a little aside in the months before to help cushion the blow. What I don't typically do is stuff my suitcase full of £1.2million of cannabis and then attempt to smuggle it into Sri Lanka. 6 But that is what former Tui air stewardess Charlotte May Lee, 21, is accused of doing when she was stopped at Colombo airport last week. The previous day, another young Brit, Bella Culley, 18, was nabbed at Tbilisi airport in Georgia, having allegedly flown in from Bangkok with 14kg of marijuana. So two girls in two days, caught, locked up and now starring in their own personal reboot of Midnight Express. Meanwhile, their frantic parents, beside themselves with worry, try every trick in the book to get them out. What a mess. Now there is a suggestion that the two — who both flew out of the same Thai airport — are linked. Investigators wonder if nasty smugglers 'preyed' on these women as part of some sort of international drug ring targeting backpackers. Because of course there is no way on Earth that these two plucky lasses — no doubt keen to fund a never-ending holiday with the easiest cash available — could have just decided to smuggle drugs on their own. A bit of 'easy money' to avoid having to do the unthinkable and — OMG! — get an actual job. No, these Gen Z globetrotters must be 'victims'. It wasn't their fault. They're just 'vulnerable women'. Hmmm. Bella Culley certainly did not appear to be a victim of anything — other than perhaps social media. Indeed, her boastful posts on TikTok and Facebook prior to her arrest revealed a young woman high on life. And possibly more — in one snap she has what appears to be a spliff hanging out of her mouth. In another, she flaunts wads of cash, captioning it with bags of money emojis (Where did she get all that from?) 6 She also revealed she is not necessarily someone who follows the letter of the law too well, writing: 'How about we get up to criminal activities side by side like Bonnie 'n' Clyde making heavy figures and f***ing on balconies all over the world.' Meanwhile, May Lee, who recently worked on a 'booze cruise' in Thailand and is also no stranger to showing off on social media, insists she had 'no idea' the drugs were 'planted' in her bags. If convicted, this unlucky pair's sentences will be long and miserable. I don't blame anyone for trying to get them out. Any parent would want the same. A rat-and-maggot-infested foreign prison is no place for a young Western woman, especially one like Culley, who claims to be pregnant. But spare me the victim nonsense. Both these adults, if guilty, should have known what they were doing was highly risky. Backpackers — even those as young as 18 — know exactly how the world works. I was one myself once. Hardly a month goes by without some well-publicised horror story of a British national getting caught with drugs. And incidents are on the rise. Recent stats from Prisoners Abroad, which helps Brits who have been nicked overseas, reveal a huge increase in drug arrests — up 57 per cent, with 243 new cases between April 2024 and March this year, compared to 155 in the previous year. Brits Michaella McCollum and Melissa Reid — aka the Peru Two — who were banged up in Peru in 2013 for smuggling cocaine, garnered such notoriety that two kids dressed up as them for the village fete. It is easy to blame social media for all the world's ills, but for Charlotte May Lee and Bella Culley, it might have played a part. The urge to live a luxury, carefree life and show it off to followers can be a powerful motive to do the most stupid, high-risk things imaginable. Social media is a powerful drug with which one must exercise extreme caution. And yes, as another two terrified women are now finding out, it is not the only one that could ruin your life. ITV IS cutting the number of presenters on Loose Women to save cash. Presumably it will also now be rebranded . . . Less Women. A LONG SPELL TO WAIT WHEN I was a kid, my family visited Orlando to take in the theme parks and it was such a memorable experience for us all. I will never forget the look of thunder on my old man's face as we queued in the blistering Floridian sun for over two hours for a seat on Disney World's Space Mountain ride. But that wait was nothing compared with what punters at the new Wizarding World Of Harry Potter have had to endure as it opened in Orlando this week. Fans hoping for a thrill on the Harry Potter And The Battle At The Ministry ride were greeted with a sign that informed them they would have to queue for 300 minutes. Yep, that's FIVE HOURS, firmly putting the MUG in Muggles. Quit moaning at Eurovision – the show is so bad, it's fun MORE carping about how Eurovision has become some sort of politically driven brickbat to give the likes of Brexit Britain a battering. Maybe it is. But so what? 6 The actual results mean diddly squat to most of us – we haven't tasted victory for 28 years. Our entrant this year was named Remember Monday for a reason. That reason being a plea: 'Please remember us on Monday.' Good luck with that, girls. No, the Eurovision Song Contest is less about the contest and more about floating off to some cacophonic country where the LGBT rainbow is the national flag and anyone caught taking things seriously has their bottom smacked by Graham Norton. As the late great Eurovision host Terry Wogan put it: 'It's supposed to be bad. 'And the worse it is, the more fun it is.' BRUCE BOOSTS TRUMP TRADEMARK tantrum from Donald Trump as he orders a probe into whether leftie luvvies like Bruce Springsteen gave 'illegal' support for Kamala Harris's election campaign. But while the Don works himself up into a tizzy he might want to remember that it was people like Bruce, below, – who tore into him last week – that actually got him elected. All the right-on celebrities who sided with Joe Biden and then Harris, paved the way for Trump Round 2 by failing to call out how daft the Democrats' campaigning was. Where were the speeches and songs blasting Kamala for offering nothing meaningful to the American people? Born To Run? More like Dancing In The Dark. GARY'S EXIT A SHAME THERE was a crushing inevitability to Gary Lineker's red card from the BBC. Gung-ho Gary just cannot seem to function without a regular dopamine hit from social media (yep that old drug pusher again). 6 And with his fateful Instagram repost about Zionist 'rats' he did what many hopeless addicts do – he plunged in the needle before checking the safety of the product. It was idiotic, offensive and embarrassing, and quite rightly he has apologised and is no doubt kicking himself for this unforced error. So here we are, facing a World Cup without Lineker as the man to unite the nation. And I'm a little misty-eyed about that. Because whatever you think of his leftie posturing, you have to admit he was a bloody good World Cup host. This former England number 10 knew exactly what our lads were going through on those foreign pitches. A Mexico '86 golden boot winner and an Italia '90 semi-finalist (and brown shorts victim), the boy from Leicester had the emotional experience as well as the actual experience. No offence to the perfectly capable Gabby Logan, Kelly Cates and Chappers but they haven't been there. So I'll raise a glass to Lineker this weekend as, knowing my luck, he discusses Man United's battering by Aston Villa on his final Match Of The Day. And maybe I'll send him a nice tweet too. Keep those levels topped up.
The Sun
20-05-2025
- The Sun
How Thai gangsters are luring naive Brit teens like Bella into drug mule trade in exchange for boozy paradise holidays
THAI gangs are turning more and more British backpackers into drug mules, law enforcement authorities have warned. The cases of trafficking suspects Bella Culley, 18, and Charlotte Lee, 21, ramped up fears gangs have launched unprecedented recruitment drives in search of huge profits. 9 9 9 And experts believe the twin arrests within hours of each other could herald a future flood - leaving parents across the UK facing their worst nightmares. Gangs run by British criminals based in Thailand have for years relied on postal deliveries of drug stashes from the Far East but have been rocked by a crackdown. And they are now tempting potential mules with free paradise holidays, unlimited booze, drugs and a £2,000 payout if they agree to carry their illicit wares back home. Kingpins based in hotspots including Thailand's Koh Samui are offering bigger rewards than ever to vulnerable and impressionable youngsters after profit margins rocketed. Since cannabis was legalised in Thailand in 2018 it has become so cheap on the streets that gangs who export to the UK can make an astonishing 3,000 per cent mark-up. British and Thai authorities joined forces to launch the Operation Chaophraya anti-mule drive last July and have been stunned by the scale of the recruitment campaign. An incredible 800 people - including 50 Britons - have been held in Thailand for alleged drug smuggling since last July, with more than nine tons of cannabis seized. In March a series of arrests at Koh Samui Airport exposed a sophisticated cannabis smuggling operation using mostly British tourists to ferry suitcases of narcotics. Over four days immigration police arrested 13 foreign nationals attempting to smuggle £1.7 million to the UK - where it would have been peddled for far higher prices. Investigators have revealed Thai gangs are now routinely attempting to confuse border officials by using fresh-faced Brits who fly to other countries before carrying drugs back home. Brit 'drug smuggler' Bella Culley 'starving' in ex-Soviet hell prison - as she reveals pregnancy craving to celeb lawyer Teenage travellers of the Instagram generation are being dazzled by the faux glamour of the luxury lifestyle offered by manipulative gangsters. And too many are blind to the enormous, potentially life-changing risks they are taking, law enforcement chiefs say. Banged up Bubbly backpacker Bella jetted off for fun in the sun then left her family frantic with worry when she went missing in Thailand two weeks ago. But there was little celebration when she was found - 4,000 miles away from the Thai capital in a court in the ex-Soviet state of Georgia accused of attempting to smuggle cannabis worth £200,000. Bella, of Billingham, County Durham, is facing a sentence of up to life in prison. She went on to tell the court tearfully that she was having a baby. 9 9 Her family say she flew to the Far East on holiday to meet a mystery man - believed to be the baby's father - called 'Ross or Russ'. He introduced her to Brits from the north west of England suspected of running drug mules from Thailand. The naive teenager joked online with the mystery man of 'Bonnie and Clyde' hijinks in the Far East while showing off cash wads and was pictured smoking a spliff. It's hard to imagine what Bella's dad Niel (ckd) must be feeling right now as he battles red tape trying to find out how on earth his daughter wound up in Tbilisi, pregnant and in jail. I've spoken to him several times and can see he's a man at his wit's end in a situation made worse by his inability to make sense of it. The 49-year-old oil rig electrician looks haunted as he paces around outside his hotel in the picture postcard capital waiting for news while puffing on cigarettes. He wants answers but is being advised by the British Embassy to speak to no one and appears totally baffled by his daughter's plight. His only legal point of contact so far is Georgian 'taxi rank' legal aid lawyer Ia Todua. At the time of writing, it's believed Bella has yet to explain how or why she got here to her own lawyer - let alone her family. Celebrity lawyer Mariam Kublashvili - a former contestant of Georgia's Strictly Come Dancing - saw Bella face-to-face in jail on Monday and came out convinced she the youngster is a "victim" and has been manipulated. Terrifying fate Bella's flight took off from the same Bangkok airport within hours of another pretty British trafficking suspect arrested with £1.2 million of a cannabis-related drug in Sri Lanka. Former air stewardess Charlotte May Lee, 21, was in a gruesome Sri Lankan jail cell last night awaiting a court appearance. It's still unclear whether this is the fate that has befallen Bella or Charlotte as both languish in cells. 9 9 9 But inquiries I've made since arriving to work on the story should serve as a warning to all young British trippers looking for backpacking adventures in the Far East. Every young Brit abroad in the holiday hotspots this summer should take heed and be wary of strangers offering gifts - and promises of free fun that seem too good to be true. A crime source based in the UK with knowledge of the growing threat told me: 'Evidence has already emerged that a major mule recruitment drive is underway. 'Young people from the UK are being targeted with the aim of reaching the UK after stopping off at European destinations en route to cover their tracks. 'And they are being offered more tempting rewards than ever as the gangs target bigger profits. 'We can't stop backpackers travelling and having fun but they should be careful who they talk to and never carry bags or packages onto planes for anyone. 'No matter how much they're offered - it won't be worth spending 20 years regretting it in a hellhole prison.' 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.'
