Brit 'drug mule' couple faces 30 years in Turkish prison after 'trying to bring cannabis into UK'
The couple have since been formally arrested following a court hearing and transferred to prison, where they could face a lengthy wait before trial
A British couple are being held in Turkey after being accused of attempting to bring two suitcases containing cannabis into the UK.
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Holly Cooper and Taylor Johnson, both 20 and from the West Midlands, were arrested after landing in Istanbul on a flight from Thailand, while trying to catch a connecting flight to London.
The pair were questioned by officers at the airport before being taken into custody.
They were later thrown into a holding cell where Mr Johnson was beaten up, his family claim.
The couple have since been formally arrested following a court hearing and transferred to prison, where they could face a lengthy wait before trial.
If convicted, they could both face a sentence of between 10 and 30 years
They reportedly do not have private legal representation and are expected to be defended by public lawyers.
A family friend 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.”
Their family claim criminals allegedly groomed them in Gran Canaria.
Ms Cooper, from Coseley, and Mr Johnson, from Wednesbury, travelled to Thailand last month and were stopped by police in Istanbul on 26 April while on their way back to the UK.
Friends launched a GoFundMe appeal to help raise money for the couple, which raised £455 in just five days, and has since been taken down.
Gracie, a family friend who set up the fundraiser, said: “to some it may be cheeky” to ask for donations, but added that “anyone that knows Taylor knows he would help you as much as he can”.
Ms Cooper’s aunt, Maxine Cooper, confirmed her arrest to The Sun, according to the paper.
A Foreign Office spokesperson told LBC: "We are providing support to two British nationals detained in Turkey as well as their families, and are in touch with local authorities."