So that woman who went missing in Ibiza

[Ulick]

How do you know all this?

Why wouldn't it be plausible? In terms of wages they wouldn't get a wile lot of money when working in an airport, getting paid to let ones through and catch others would be as said a win win for everyone concerned.

The drug dealers are telling the girls the truth, the workers are paid off to let people through, just left out the bit that they will let the other ones through instead.

I still don't think they are "drugged", they are talking well (not slurred) they are making sense and whispering among themselves

Why let them find 11kg of very valuable coke when 1kg would achieve the same result? It doesn't add up.

It's about PR, better to have $1m worth of drugs off the street that €100k.  I'll tell you what doesn't add up is the amount of 'coverage' of the arrest and the recording of conversations and 'interviews' with the girls.  Something stinks here.

All speculation which can be quite easily explained. It's routine in Latin American countries to record the airport searches especially of Europeans because when they're caught invariably they'll usually accuse corrupt officials in host country of planting evidence. Video taping goes some way to reassuring their own people and courts that such claims are based on not much more that prejudice. To suggest a drug dealer is going to give away $1m worth of drugs as a decoy or PR exercise is frankly outrageous. Not far behind is the suggestion that Peruvian airport police and troops are on the take to boost their income. The Peruvian police are probably the most professional, best trained and efficient of all in central and south America. Those they have working in around Lima, the tourist areas and airports are among the best paid of their police force earning salaries in the region of $30-60k well above average earnings for there and probably most places in the world. Then you have their long history of fighting drug trafficking and a not so inconsequential conflict with the Shinning Path will also have their methods and procedures up to the "best European standards" - to buy out free passage for drugs through an airport would entail bribing loads of the best paid and most professional police and troops in the region - not impossible but extremely unlikely and probably not an expense or risk your average drug dealer is going to try.

At the end of the day the girls were caught bang to rights. Probably out there on the promise of a free holiday and a few grand. Stupid and nieve but the amount of excuses being made for them is ridiculous.

Ulick, I have a friend who lives in Peru and he said the level of corruption among the police out there has to be seen to be believed.  The girls were caught and that is clear.  To suggest that there may not have been some level of collusion is simply naïve.  I know of cases where these 'patsies' have been set up to allow bigger ones to move through.  Catch the $1m patsy but the one with $3m gets through.  It happens.

There are five or six different types of cop in Peru and I've no doubt some of those at the bottom, especially in the poorer Andean parts are corrupt, but this all happened in Lima international airport - a different propostion altogether where it's not unknown even for their special forces to be based. Peru is not some central American bananna republic - the likelihood of half of border control, passport control and customs being on the take there is about the same as it happening Rome or Dublin.

[Ulick]

Ulick, I have a friend who lives in Peru and he said the level of corruption among the police out there has to be seen to be believed.  The girls were caught and that is clear.  To suggest that there may not have been some level of collusion is simply naïve.  I know of cases where these 'patsies' have been set up to allow bigger ones to move through.  Catch the $1m patsy but the one with $3m gets through.  It happens.

And I'd imagine that the $1m is retail value rather than cost price

Media reports I've read have said £1.5m (aprox $2.5m) - I took the liberty of rounding it down.

[Orior]

So a few things, the girls didn't know each other prior to going?

The cartel members find out about their new mules, including family members, addresses, phone numbers, plus pictures of loved ones.

Michaella was put on a ferry to Majorca while the other one was in Madrid

Then the other one was brought back to Majorca and is this where they first meet up?

They are also devoid of all make-up and looking withdrawn!! Seriously??

Then they mention of having a fun time in Palma

They then went back to Madrid??? One went first (to Peru) on her own the the other a day later, they then flew to Cuzco picked up drugs and flew back to the same airport in Lima, thats when the sniffer dogs picked them up.

Michaella added: "As we sit in jail I just can't help thinking there is some young British girl in Ibiza in the same situation we were two weeks ago."

I doubt we'll need Columbo for this

I agree.  Plus, how does someone threaten her family in Tyrone - do the drug dealers subcontract roughing up Tyronnies to the RA? I cannot envisage that sort of thing.

[armaghniac]

Firstly, what proportion of drug mules are detected? We've all seen those customs programmes, including the Irish one, where some type of spaniel sniffs all luggage.

Secondly, while some of these from poor countries have family members held hostage, I share the skepticism about this gangs reach in Tyrone.

[All of a Sludden]

Do the Colombians do much business in Peru?

[tyssam5]

How does that help the larger amount get through on the way into Spain?

Also if the sacrificial scheme is known on gaaboard would it not also be know to Peruvian authorities?
JFK says the

It's a PR exercise. "Look, we're winning the war against drugs". I'm not saying that's what happened here but it looks like it and it does happen.

I don't follow? You're saying this was staged by the Peruvian government?

[93-DY-SAM]

These two have had their lives destroyed, not sure this has sunk in with them yet, but how many more would have had their lives destroyed if this delivery reached its intended destination.

Also if they were flying to another airport after they reached Madrid how the hell did they think they would slip under the radar in one airport never mind two.

A sorry mess for their families to have to deal with. 

[ranch]

Ok Ranch just lock them up and throw away the key, eh?

If they're guilty and were foolish enough to commit the crime then yeah, fair enough. What do you want, an Irish/British boycott of Peruvian goods?

No thought for a defence whatsoever considering their age

They're adults. Age wasn't a worthwhile defence for the killers of James Bulger, I doubt you wanted the same leniency shown to them as you do for these two ladies?

Just let them suffer in living hell for the next 10 years or so while multiple murderers live in luxury in a so called jail in your own country without protest from you despite the fact you are paying for it through your taxes?

So you're complaining that these ladies may have to suffer in a Peruvian prison yet you're also giving off about the "luxury" of our own prisons. Make your mind up, you either want one or the other?

[Asal Mor]

How does that help the larger amount get through on the way into Spain?

Also if the sacrificial scheme is known on gaaboard would it not also be know to Peruvian authorities?
JFK says the

It's a PR exercise. "Look, we're winning the war against drugs". I'm not saying that's what happened here but it looks like it and it does happen.

I don't follow? You're saying this was staged by the Peruvian government?

No, I'm just saying that maybe these girls were made an example of while other mules are allowed to pass through, but maybe I'm being unfair to Peru.

It was a very naive attempt at smuggling. 11 kilos is way too much to bring in your luggage and two young foreign girls coming to Peru for such a short holiday would arouse suspicion anyway. I'm not surprised at the girl's naivety, young as they are, but the people organising this job wouldn't be stupid and I'd be amazed if they really thought they would get away with this.

[Gold]

Girls were forced and as BC1 said, a set-up most likely to let the small amount be caught. Drug-lords have to lose some to get more through, part of the game.

Touts here, tell cops things to keep themselves not banged up. When cops need to then make further arrests they go back to the tout to get more info on something else, otherwise the tout gets pinched for whatever it is he did to get himself into said situation. Happens all over on different levels.

There is NO WAY these girls willingly went into this for the sake of making, lets say 10k (although it would never be as much as that). There is no way they could be so naive to think they would not be caught and gamble the chance of making 10k versus 10-15 years of their lives in jail.

Cant believe the hatred and loathing of these girls on here by people who know next to nothing about drugs, the justice system and such cases. People loath them because they are young, attractive and in the party scene and yes, most likely recreational drug-users.

We cant know for certain the facts and whether or not there was duress. It will be up to a Jury to decide whether or not their stories are true.

In my view there is no way they did this willingly.

[Cold tea]

Girls were forced and as BC1 said, a set-up most likely to let the small amount be caught. Drug-lords have to lose some to get more through, part of the game.

Touts here, tell cops things to keep themselves not banged up. When cops need to then make further arrests they go back to the tout to get more info on something else, otherwise the tout gets pinched for whatever it is he did to get himself into said situation. Happens all over on different levels.

There is NO WAY these girls willingly went into this for the sake of making, lets say 10k (although it would never be as much as that). There is no way they could be so naive to think they would not be caught and gamble the chance of making 10k versus 10-15 years of their lives in jail.

Cant believe the hatred and loathing of these girls on here by people who know next to nothing about drugs, the justice system and such cases. People loath them because they are young, attractive and in the party scene and yes, most likely recreational drug-users.

We cant know for certain the facts and whether or not there was duress. It will be up to a Jury to decide whether or not their stories are true.

In my view there is no way they did this willingly.

And others have views, by the way what do you have to know about drugs aside from the fact they ruin lives and kill?

[J OGorman]

party scene Ibiza. These girls maybe wanted to be 'players'. Part of the inner sanctum on the party island. Fed free wingnuts / coke / champagne etc for a few weeks. Now its payback time to the lowlifes who have wined and 'dined' these girls. Maybe a numbers game, some are niave and strung out enough to go through with the drug run, some not. Either way, its a lessen hard learned for this pair.

[God14]

Gold,
I can accept that once the girls were in Peru they were vulnerable & forced to complete this assigment. But certainly not prior to it.

Do you REALLY believe that someone forced their way into their accommodation (think of the noise? their friends?), made them pack bags & passport, forced them to travel to neighbouring island (Majorca) then forced them in Palma to board a plane into Madrid,  then forced them in broad daylight to another safe house in Madrid, ... then forced them back into the airport again & frog marched them onto a plane to Lima??
How many members of the public & security services would they have passed??

CCTV in Madrid & Palma airports will reveal all.

1/33 it shows the girls laughing, sipping cocktails oblivious to the danger they were in!
100/1 it shows them being followed and chaperoned by a couple gun swinging gringo's!

[give her dixie]

I spent a month in Peru a few years back, and going by what I was told by hostel and hotel owners,
every level of police and customs are corrupt. The advice they give out to travellers is to carry a seperate amount
of cash in order to bribe a policeman if caught doing something petty. I heard plenty of stories of people
who were able to bribe cops with anything from 10 to 100 dollars.

Needless to say, a hundred dollars wouldn't have helped these girls, but hey, it wouldn't surprise me if they
were set up to get caught in order to allow a bigger shipment to go through. After all, the stash they had would only
be worth a few thousand to the local suppliers, and well worth the sacrifice.

Alcohol and tobacco kill way more people than illegal drugs do, yet they are legal and people caught smuggling
either never seem to spend any time in prison or have a social stigma attached to them. The sooner certain drugs
are legalized the better.

This case will run for a while and hopefully the truth will come out, and until then, we have no idea what happened.
Both sets of families are going through hell right now, and I for one can only feel for them.

As bad as the case is, they didn't kill anyone, and they were not carrying bombs or guns.

[thebigfella]

Girls were forced and as BC1 said, a set-up most likely to let the small amount be caught. Drug-lords have to lose some to get more through, part of the game.

Touts here, tell cops things to keep themselves not banged up. When cops need to then make further arrests they go back to the tout to get more info on something else, otherwise the tout gets pinched for whatever it is he did to get himself into said situation. Happens all over on different levels.

There is NO WAY these girls willingly went into this for the sake of making, lets say 10k (although it would never be as much as that). There is no way they could be so naive to think they would not be caught and gamble the chance of making 10k versus 10-15 years of their lives in jail.

Cant believe the hatred and loathing of these girls on here by people who know next to nothing about drugs, the justice system and such cases. People loath them because they are young, attractive and in the party scene and yes, most likely recreational drug-users.

We cant know for certain the facts and whether or not there was duress. It will be up to a Jury to decide whether or not their stories are true.

In my view there is no way they did this willingly.

And others have views, by the way what do you have to know about drugs aside from the fact they ruin lives and kill?

Christ would you ever listen to yourself.