Peru drugs: Two Brits charged

Two British women, arrested on suspicion of trying to smuggle cocaine worth £1.5million from Peru, have been formally charged

By Nicole Hamer |

14:49 21 August 2013

Two British women who were arrested on suspicion of trying to smuggle cocaine worth £1.5million out of Peru have been charged.

It is understood that Michaella McCollum and Melissa Reid could face maximum sentence of 15 years if found guilty.

Michaella McCollum, of Dungannon, Co Tyrone, Northern Ireland, and Melissa Reid, from Glasgow, who are 20 years old, were arrested when they were trying to board a flight to Madrid.

The two women are accused of trying to smuggle 11kg of cocaine out of Peru.

Peter Madden, Michaella McCollum’s lawyer, has said that both Michaella McCollum and Melissa Reid would plead not guilty.

The two women deny the accusations. The two women say that they were forced to carry the drugs by a gang that was armed.

Michaella McCollum and Melissa Reid were arrested on 6th August, 2013, in Peru.

Peru, which is in western South America, is officially called the Republic of Peru.