A British woman is at risk of facing the death penalty, after she brought hundreds of painkillers in Egypt. On October 9th, as she had just landed on the Hurghada International Airport, she was found carrying 290 tablets of tramadol and naproxen, which are incredibly powerful opioids. She said she brought the tablets for her Egyptian husband, who was suffering from severe back pain.
The woman brought opioid painkillers to Egypt, without being aware they’re illegal
Laura Plummer, aged 33, is in a long-distance relationship, and she was visiting her husband who lived in Egypt. She knew he was complaining of severe back pains, so she decided to help him and bring him some painkillers. Unknowingly, she made a huge mistake, as the customs police found 290 pills of powerful opioids in her suitcase.
Both her father and her brother said she wasn’t aware of what she was doing, and had no idea that it was illegal to transport such huge quantities of opioid painkillers. When she complained to a co-worker that her husband was in pain, this person recommended her the tablets. Moreover, she packed a few other items which are prohibited in Egypt, without being aware of it.
She might be subject to serious penalty
The painkillers the woman had brought to her husband were tramadol and naproxen. Tramadol is an incredibly powerful opioid, and might share some of its effects with heroin. It was first introduced in Egypt for the treatment of cancer patients, but it quickly became the most abused substance in the country. Now it’s widely used as a recreational drug, and even as an aphrodisiac.
At the moment, Plummer is in jail, sharing a cell with 25 other women. On November 9th, she is to return to court for the third hearing in her case. She has been accused of drug trafficking, so she is at risk of facing serious penalty.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
