ISTANBUL — A 20-year-old British couple has been arrested in Turkey on suspicion of trying to smuggle cannabis to the United Kingdom in a suitcase and could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted under Turkish law. They are currently being held in a Turkish jail.
The pair, named as Holly Cooper and her boyfriend Taylor Johnson, both 20, are from the West Midlands in England.
Citing family sources, the British newspaper The Sun reported that the couple had traveled to Thailand about a month earlier. On April 26, while transiting through Istanbul on their way from Thailand to London, they came under suspicion from customs officers at the airport. A search of their suitcases turned up a large quantity of cannabis. They were arrested on the spot and taken to a holding room at the airport.
The couple are being held in custody on court orders. Johnson’s family said he had been physically abused in an overcrowded cell. Turkey has strict laws against drug smuggling, and the legal process can take up to a year to begin. If convicted, the pair face a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison.
The families of Cooper and Johnson say the two are innocent and have begun fundraising for their legal defense. They are “good kids” who fell victim to the temptation and conspiracy of a larger criminal network, the families said.
A family friend said the couple may have been foolish, but that everyone makes mistakes. A larger criminal ring had brainwashed them and used them for the job, the friend said. The two are alone and helpless in Turkey, and the family is shattered.
The British Foreign Office said it was aware of two British nationals detained in Turkey. It is providing the necessary consular assistance to their families and is in contact with local authorities, the office said.
Concern over Turkey’s drug laws and the couple’s future has spread through their hometown in the West Midlands.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report