Woman Caught Smuggling Drugs after Accidentally Showing Border Officers Photos of Evidence

A woman who attempted to smuggle nearly 100 pellets of cocaine into the UK was caught after accidentally showing Border Force officers pictures of the drugs on her phone. Larissa Lins, 27, was intercepted at Manchester Airport after flying from Brazil and claimed she was visiting the UK to “research nice places.”

Lins, who had flown via France and Portugal, initially denied carrying anything illegal and offered to show officers photos from her time in France. However, as officers scrolled through her phone, they discovered images of “white pellets,” which aroused suspicion. Upon further investigation, it was revealed that Lins had ingested and concealed a kilo of cocaine both inside and outside her body, according to Manchester Evening News.

In court, Lins pleaded guilty to being involved in the importation of a class A drug and was sentenced to three years in prison. She was told she would “almost inevitably” be deported back to Brazil after serving 40 percent of her sentence.

Prosecutor David Toal detailed the events of August 24, when Lins flew from São Paulo to Manchester with only a small pink cabin bag. Border Force officers, using a Portuguese interpreter, questioned her, and Lins claimed it was her first time in the UK, stating she had packed her suitcase herself and carried nothing illegal.

“She volunteered her phone to show officers images she had taken in France, and whilst looking through, officers saw images of white pellets, which were believed to be cocaine,” Mr. Toal explained. Lins was arrested and admitted to swallowing pellets of cocaine the day before her flight. She was taken to Wythenshawe Hospital, where she passed the pellets over time.

Further searches revealed more pellets hidden in her bra lining. In total, 99 pellets were seized, weighing 1.1 kilos with packaging and 923 grams without. The cocaine had a street value estimated at £72,000.

During her interview, Lins confessed to swallowing 100 pellets before flying to France, passing them over three days, and returning them to another person. The day before flying to Manchester, she swallowed 10 more pellets and had additional ones inserted into her body by her cousin. She was promised £1,400 in Brazilian real for the smuggling operation.

Laura Broome, defending, described Lins as being in a “state of sheer desperation” and claimed she had been coerced and intimidated into the act. “Had any of those burst, she could have died,” Broome said, emphasizing the grave risks involved.

Judge Patrick Field KC, sentencing Lins, said the crime was taken very seriously by the courts and noted the organized criminals behind the operation had little regard for her safety. He acknowledged that the amount of money involved was significant to Lins, adding, “There is no doubt you were recruited to carry out the task by criminals who were more sophisticated than you.”

Lins, who has four young children, wept throughout the hearing as she was sentenced to three years in prison.