Holly Cooper and her boyfriend Taylor Johnson, both 20, were arrested at an airport in Istanbul while they were heading to their connecting flight back to London
A British couple is facing 30 years behind bars after allegedly attempting to smuggle two suitcases worth of cannabis into the UK.
Holly Cooper and her boyfriend Taylor Johnson, both 20, were arrested in Istanbul, Turkey, on a flight from Thailand. Officers apprehended the pair as they were heading toward their connecting flight to London.
Following questioning they were thrown into a holding cell where Taylor was reportedly beaten up by Turkish thugs, sources in his family claimed. They were later moved to another jail, although it could be a year before the case comes to trial and they do not have their own lawyers, instead being represented by a public legal team.
Friends are now attempting to raise money to cover the couple’s legal fees as their concerned families agonise over when the next update will come. Should the couple be convicted, they face a minimum sentence of between 10 and 30 years behind bars.
The couple were described as “good kids” by a family friend. He told The Sun: “OK, they’ve done something stupid this time, but everyone makes mistakes.
“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 families are in bits.”
A FCDO spokesperson said: “We are providing support to two British nationals detained in Turkey as well as their families, and are in touch with local authorities.”
