All you want to know as British ‘drug mule’ couple allegedly face 30 years in Turkish jail

Need to know

Holly Cooper and Taylor Johnson, both 20, were arrested after allegedly trying to smuggle cannabis back to the UK inside their suitcases. The West Midlands couple are now detained in a Turkish prison and could face up to 30 years behind bars if found guilty

Need to know: british couple face 30 years in turkish jail for cannabis smuggling

• Two young Brits face up to 30 years in a Turkish prison after allegedly trying to smuggle cannabis back to the UK.
• Holly Cooper and Taylor Johnson, both 20, were arrested at Istanbul airport after flying from Thailand. Customs officers swooped on the West Midlands couple as they tried to catch their connecting flight to London.
• The pair have been formally detained and could wait up to a year before trial. Johnson was allegedly assaulted in their packed prison cell, according to family members.
• Turkish law takes drug smuggling extremely seriously, with sentences potentially reaching three decades behind bars. The couple’s families have launched a fundraising campaign for legal fees.
• A family friend said: “They’ve been recruited and groomed by bigger criminals and exploited by them. They are alone in a Turkish prison. It’s shocking and apparently Taylor has been beaten up.”
• The UK Foreign Office confirmed it is providing support to the detained British nationals.
• READ THE FULL STORY: Brit ‘drug mule’ couple, 20, facing 30 years in Turkish jail despite being ‘good kids’