Possibly 25 yrs prison or death sentence for British woman arrested in Egypt ?

[Dancing Wolf]

British Woman Arrested for Drug Trafficking in Egypt
BBC  November 4, 2017


Laura Plummer was reportedly arrested after flying into Cairo with hundreds of painkiller pills



A British woman has been arrested in Egypt and accused of drug trafficking.

Laura Plummer, from Hull, was arrested after flying into Cairo with nearly 300 tramadol tablets and some Naproxen in her suitcase, the Sun reported.

Her family told the paper she brought the painkillers for her Egyptian husband, who she visits two to four times a year and who has a bad back.

The Foreign Office said it was supporting a British woman and her family after her detention in Egypt.


'Good deed'

Family members told the Sun that Miss Plummer, 33, signed a 38-page statement in Arabic thinking it would lead to her release, but instead she has been kept in a cell with 25 other women for nearly a month.

They also say they have been told she could face up to 25 years in prison, or even the death penalty.

Miss Plummer's brother, James, 31, told the Press Association his sister thought she was doing a "good deed" by bringing the medication over to her husband.

Mr Plummer said his mother and sisters had travelled to Egypt to visit Miss Plummer following her arrest on 9 October, adding: "They say she's unrecognisable. When they seen her, she's like a zombie, they said."

Mr Plummer said the family feel "helpless" due to being in a different country.

He said his sister's hair was starting to fall out due to stress. "I don't think she's tough enough to survive it," he added.
"She has a phobia of using anybody else's toilet, so let alone sharing a toilet and a floor with everybody else.
"That will be awful for her, it'll be traumatising."


http://www. bbc.com/news/uk-41868568

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Wow, possible Death Sentence for less than 300 trams!

[barq2]

It will probably take a long time to sort out, but UK diplomatic roots run very deep in that part of the world. I think it is very likely she will be free again, but from similar cases it could take up to a year. I hope it it sooner.

I agree with FirePlaces that this is an important reminder to think carefully what you take across a border. It isn't just the legality, but also how the country will react. Some would accept that as a mistake, confiscate, and that would be the end of it, and unfortunately for her she found one of the countries that takes it VERY seriously.

Reminds me of a recent case of a British man in Dubai who brushed another man's hip while passing, and was imprisoned. Luckily for him there was intervention at the highest levels and he is free. But some people think they are going to an Arab version of Vegas, and are totally ignorant of local rules (e.g. covering up, no alcohol).

Poor woman - 300 tramadol... that's crazy. I think I've got more than that in my office at work.

[Linville]

I saw this article and started to post it

Glad you did

Crazy to think this could happen

[Pliko]

It is a shame that the husband doesn't know about this site. He could have ordered those meds easily, in fact a couple years ago I remember there being a well known vendor based in Egypt carrying a selection which likely included those meds.

[yellowdog]

There is simply not enough education about the drugs laws and other illegal activity that would land a westerner in jail.
This woman had prescribed painkillers, These countries particular in mordern time should be avoided.
im sure when poverty hits a low and these " men are no longer able to pay for these families they will realize the error of the ways

[G.Elias]

Woman who got sent to jail actually had them on top of everything else inside her luggage so wasn't even trying to hide them, hopefully the UK embassy and foreign office can help sort this out, no idea what the current regime in Egypt is like with its relationship with the UK ever since Mubarak was gotten rid of, hope she can hang in there cos it sounds truly awful for her, I won't be visiting that country any time soon that's for sure.

[Dancing Wolf]

Never sign a legal document written in Arabic and think it will make everything ok with the police in one of those countries!
Yikes!  who even knows what it really said? probably not that British lady!

Also, not best choice to admit you've been bringing in these meds for an Egyptian citizen  2-4x/year...
If meds were prescribed to her legally, why didn't she insist they were for her instead of admitting she gave them to husband?

I hope she gets help and things work out ok for her, it's obvious she's not a drug kingpin by her naive behavior.
(Imagine an Egyptian jail, esp in light of how they view women...  OMG)

I couldn't help but wonder - why? her husband would have her doing this for him?  or advise her not to do it?
Being Egyptian, her husband knew the possible consequences if she was caught much better than she did.


(I thought of "Midnight Express" when I read this article - that was one wild movie, based on true story of American sentenced to life for hash in Turkey decades ago - jails were shown as medieval places with horrible conditions... hope her cell is better than that... )

[G.Elias]

Husband says he has prescription for what was found and can prove the meds were prescribed to him, don't know why he didn't take them out there himself then, all a bit strange, why didn't he speak out sooner? article about it online, i don't know what to think of this husband allowing wife to take them out there, if he really needs them I would have thought he would have thought to take them with him - http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-wor...n-11504661