A British woman has been arrested on suspicion of drug smuggling after 10 kilograms of cocaine were allegedly found in luggage that she was carrying.
The woman was stopped by officers upon leaving Terminal 2 at Cancun Airport in Mexico having disembarked from a flight arriving from Amsterdam.
According to local media she was arrested for drug smuggling and – if sentenced – could face a decade in prison.
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The drugs were reportedly discovered when the suitcase was passed through an X-ray machine, triggering an alert.
An initial search didn’t reveal any drugs, but sniffer dogs later uncovered a hidden layer to the luggage that contained nine packets and bottles containing what is believed to be large quantities of cocaine.
The Mexican police – Guardia Nacional – tweeted several pictures of the haul, writing: “In the arrivals of Cancun International Airport, National Guards and airport personnel found several packets and packages that appeared to be cocaine hidden in a hidden layer of a bag belonging to foreign national.”
The woman has now been arrested and the case has been passed to the Attorney General’s Office in Cancun.
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So far, no details of the woman have been released, but she is believed to be a British national.
The woman will appear in court over the next few weeks and if found guilty could face up to a decade behind bars, if her case is sentenced similar to others.
While Cancun is a popular destination for tourists from Britain, Europe, and the United States of America, there have been rising instances of violent crime in recent years due in part to rival drugs gangs.
Visitors to the region can expect to see patrols of armed soldiers in more touristic areas, hoping to lessen the likelihood of violent crime or attacks in popular spots with visitors.
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The Maya Train – a huge infrastructure project aimed at connecting cities across the Yucatan Peninsula – will arrive in Cancun in the coming years, and authorities are keen for the added connectivity and potential boost in tourist figures not to come with accelerated numbers in crime.
Tourists travelling to Cancun are warned that participation in the drugs trade at any level can lead to prison time.
Anyone becoming involved in it is helping to perpetuate a much larger issue, even at the very smallest level.
Sentencing for drugs offences has been toughened up in recent years in order to reflect that.
Topics: UK News, World News, Travel, Drugs
Tom Wood