Laura Plummer: Jailed Briton in Egypt 'released'

Laura Plummer was jailed for three years in December 2017

A British woman jailed after she was found with painkillers in her suitcase at an Egyptian airport has been released, her family has said.

Laura Plummer, 34, from Hull, was sentenced to three years in prison on 26 December 2017 for taking 290 Tramadol tablets into the country.

She claimed the tablets were for her partner to ease his back pain.

Ms Plummer, who was arrested in October 2017, was released from jail on Sunday, The Sun reported.

She told the newspaper: "I'm so happy to be going home.

"I just wish I wasn't being deported. But I promise you I'll never set foot in an airport again."

Her sister Rachel Plummer said the Egyptian authorities were preparing to send her home.

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Ms Plummer's local MP Karl Turner tweeted he was "delighted" Ms Plummer had been released alongside 6,929 other prisoners.

Last year, Ms Plummer lost an appeal against her sentence.

"This year an application was again put forward by her lawyer in Egypt and it was accepted," Mr Turner, the Labour MP for Hull East, added.

Rachel Plummer said the Egyptian authorities were preparing to send her sister home

What is Tramadol?

Tramadol is a strong painkiller used to treat moderate to severe pain.

It is a class C drug and is only available in the UK with a prescription from a doctor or other qualified healthcare professional.

As a class C drug, it is illegal for anyone else to supply Tramadol, to have it or to give it away, even to friends.

Source: NHS/FRANK

Ms Plummer was held in October 2017 when she flew to the Red Sea resort of Hurghada.

Her family has previously said she had no idea Tramadol was a banned substance in Egypt.

They said she did not try to hide the medicine, and thought it was a joke when she was stopped by officials after arriving for a holiday with her partner.

Police in the UK dropped an investigation into how Ms Plummer came to obtain the tablets.

In a statement, a spokesman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: "Our staff continue to do all they can to support Laura and her family, and our embassy remains in regular contact with the Egyptian authorities."