Young Brits jailed in Zimbabwe for drug smuggling

Taylor Tamara Simone, 21, pictured by police after being stopped in Harare

A 19-year-old man and 21-year-old woman have been sentenced to nine years in a Zimbabwean prison for drug smuggling.

Tihaise Darlin Elisha and Taylor Tamara Simone, both British nationals, were arrested at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport in May.

Officials in Zimbabwe say the couple were stopped after looking "suspicious" coming off a flight from Thailand, which led to them being searched.

Authorities claim more than 66kg (145lb) of cannabis was found "hidden" in four suitcases.

Tihaise Darlin Elisha, 19, was arrested in May

The pair were each sentenced to nine years in prison, with three years suspended on the condition of good behaviour.

When asked about the case, the UK Foreign Office told BBC Newsbeat it is "helping" two British nationals who are detained in Zimbabwe, and is "in contact with the local authorities".

The UK government warns that carrying illegal drugs through Zimbabwe can "carry severe penalties".

It follows a number of reports of Brits being arrested for alleged drug smuggling involving Thailand in the past year.

A 24-year-old British woman, Cameron Bradford, has been given a two-year suspended sentence at a court in Germany for trafficking drugs from the country.

Since July 2024, more than 50 British nationals have been arrested in Thailand for attempted cannabis smuggling.

It comes after a new deal between the British and Thai customs after a surge of illegal cannabis shipments to the UK.

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