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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| British girls deny drugs charges | British girls deny drugs charges |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Two British teenagers accused of trying to smuggle cocaine into the UK from Ghana have pleaded not guilty, Fair Trials Abroad said. | Two British teenagers accused of trying to smuggle cocaine into the UK from Ghana have pleaded not guilty, Fair Trials Abroad said. |
| Yasemin Vatansever and Yatunde Diya, both 16, were arrested on 2 July as they tried to board a plane in Accra. | Yasemin Vatansever and Yatunde Diya, both 16, were arrested on 2 July as they tried to board a plane in Accra. |
| The girls, both from north London, were charged with possessing and attempting to smuggle more than 6kg (13lb) of drugs valued at £300,000 into the UK. | |
| The offence carries a jail term of up to 10 years. | The offence carries a jail term of up to 10 years. |
| The students are being tried under Ghana's Juvenile Justice Act. Their trial must be completed within six months. | The students are being tried under Ghana's Juvenile Justice Act. Their trial must be completed within six months. |
| Transit point | Transit point |
| The girls say they were not aware of drugs in their luggage and had been tricked into carrying them. | The girls say they were not aware of drugs in their luggage and had been tricked into carrying them. |
| Yasemin is the daughter of immigrants from Cyprus, while Yatunde is of Nigerian descent. Both are UK citizens. | Yasemin is the daughter of immigrants from Cyprus, while Yatunde is of Nigerian descent. Both are UK citizens. |
| Ghana and the West Africa region as a whole have become a major transit point for drugs from South America destined for Europe. | Ghana and the West Africa region as a whole have become a major transit point for drugs from South America destined for Europe. |
| British customs officials are now working with their Ghanaian counterparts to intercept drug smugglers and, since late last year, more than £30m-worth of cocaine has been seized en-route to Britain from Ghana. | British customs officials are now working with their Ghanaian counterparts to intercept drug smugglers and, since late last year, more than £30m-worth of cocaine has been seized en-route to Britain from Ghana. |