Two women arrested over Peruvian cocaine smuggling appear in court

Two women arrested on suspicion of trying to smuggle cocaine worth €1.7m from Peru have appeared in court.

Michaella McCollum-Connolly, 20, from Dungannon, Co Tyrone and Melissa Reid, 20, from Glasgow, have spent the last two weeks in custody over drug trafficking allegations.

The pair were arrested while trying to board a flight from Lima to Madrid. Peruvian police said they found around 11kg (24lb) of cocaine hidden inside food packages.

The women, who both deny the allegations and say they were forced to carry the bags under duress, are expected to enter not guilty pleas. They made no comment as they entered the court in Lima.

The pair were escorted by officers from the National Police anti-drug headquarters in Peru to court, where they were to be formally charged.

Officers have concluded their initial investigation into the case with their findings forming the basis of a pre-trial hearing that will determine what the pair are to be charged with.

If refused bail, the women face up to three years in jail before a trial.

The pair say they were told to take photos of themselves at tourist spots to make it look like they were friends travelling together, according to reports.

Both women travelled separately to Ibiza in search of work this summer.

Senior Spanish police have said they do not believe the pair were acting under duress.

Ms McCollum-Connolly’s lawyer, Peter Madden, denied a variety of media reports that had emerged about his client alleging involvement with drugs.

“I don’t know at this stage when a decision will be made as to the actual prosecution itself, or when the investigating judge will actually make a decision,” he added.

Mr Madden said the women had been kept in harsh conditions but had been treated well.