Michaella Connolly and Melissa Reid jailed in Peru for trafficking cocaine
British and Irish women who tried to smuggle 11kg of drug sentenced to nearly seven years
Irisih woman Michaella Connolly and Brit Melissa Reid, both 20, were arrested in August at Lima international airport as they were trying to leave for Spain.
The pair pleaded guilty in September to attempting to smuggle out of Peru just over 11kg of cocaine with an estimated value of US$2.3 million. The cocaine was found stashed in packages of cereal in their belongings.
The young women had initially denied guilt, claiming they had been coerced into smuggling by a shady international cartel after being kidnapped on the Spanish holiday island of Ibiza.
But they later changed their story, saying they "knew they were going to transport drugs, and that they regret having participated in such an act," according to a court press release.
The Callao court that heard their case said their sentence on Tuesday had been reduced from eight years to six years and eight months under a plea bargain with prosecutors. They were also fined 10,000 soles (HK$27,700) and ordered to perform 280 days of community service.
Callao prosecutors had insisted that as part of the plea bargain the women explain the smuggling scheme in detail, naming others in the organisation.