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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| UK girls on Ghana drugs charges | UK girls on Ghana drugs charges |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Two 16-year-old students from London arrested in Ghana 10 days ago allegedly carrying £300,000 of cocaine have been "provisionally charged". | Two 16-year-old students from London arrested in Ghana 10 days ago allegedly carrying £300,000 of cocaine have been "provisionally charged". |
| Yasemin Vatansever and Yatunde Diya were stopped as they tried to board a plane at Accra airport on 2 July. | Yasemin Vatansever and Yatunde Diya were stopped as they tried to board a plane at Accra airport on 2 July. |
| The Foreign Office said the pair had appeared in court charged with possessing and attempting to export an illegal substance. | The Foreign Office said the pair had appeared in court charged with possessing and attempting to export an illegal substance. |
| If found guilty it is thought they could face at least 10 years in jail. | If found guilty it is thought they could face at least 10 years in jail. |
| Fighting corruption | Fighting corruption |
| The drugs were said to have been found on the girls by Ghanaian Narcotic Control Board officers working as part of Operation Westbridge with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). | The drugs were said to have been found on the girls by Ghanaian Narcotic Control Board officers working as part of Operation Westbridge with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). |
| The project is designed to stop traffickers getting drugs into the UK and Europe through the West African country. | The project is designed to stop traffickers getting drugs into the UK and Europe through the West African country. |
| Fair Trials Abroad (FTA) said one of girl's family had contacted them and they were looking into the case. | Fair Trials Abroad (FTA) said one of girl's family had contacted them and they were looking into the case. |
| Sabine Zanker, of FTA, said cases such as these were usually dealt with fairly quickly in Ghana, which has a good legal system. | |
| She said: "The higher the court, the better it gets - there is corruption in the lower courts and police ranks but the government is very determined to fight against corruption". | She said: "The higher the court, the better it gets - there is corruption in the lower courts and police ranks but the government is very determined to fight against corruption". |
| She added that the Ghanaian government was working with the UK on drugs cases. | She added that the Ghanaian government was working with the UK on drugs cases. |