A 21-year-old British woman, Cameron Bradford, has been detained in Germany on suspicion of smuggling cannabis from Thailand.
Ms Bradford, originally from Knebworth in Hertfordshire, was stopped at Munich Airport on April 21 while attempting to collect her luggage.
Authorities became suspicious after she changed her flight last minute, originally scheduled to fly via Singapore to London Heathrow.
Her sudden flight alteration raised red flags with airport officials, prompting further investigation.
Ms Bradford is believed to face at least four months in a German prison as investigations continue to trace the origin of the drugs.
The young mother’s arrest follows a growing number of cases involving young British women suspected of drug trafficking abroad.
Her family raised the alarm after she failed to return home on her expected Heathrow flight.
A missing person report was filed before they were informed the following day that she was in custody in Germany.
Chief prosecutor Anne Leiding from the Munich Public Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that proceedings are ongoing.
She stated, “We can confirm that we are conducting proceedings in this matter. The defendant is still in custody.”
No charges or trial date have yet been announced as the investigation remains active.
The UK Foreign Office confirmed it is supporting Ms Bradford and is in contact with her family and local authorities.
Germany legalised cannabis for recreational use in 2024 for adults aged 18 and over, but this law does not apply to tourists or non-residents.
Moreover, cannabis laws vary across Germany’s 16 federal states, causing some legal ambiguity.
Importing cannabis without authorisation, even for personal use, remains illegal and carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
Ms Bradford’s case is part of a wider pattern of young British women being detained abroad for cannabis smuggling.
In a recent example, 36-year-old Clara Wilson from Nottinghamshire was arrested in Spain with £200,000 worth of Thai cannabis.
Ms Wilson, a mother of four and prominent OnlyFans content creator, was detained on January 20 after arriving from Doha via Qatar Airways.
She now faces up to four years in prison and fines exceeding £750,000 if convicted.
Similarly, a 23-year-old British woman was arrested in Ghana after allegedly attempting to bring 18kg of cannabis into the UK on a flight to Gatwick.
Another young woman, 18-year-old Bella May Culley from County Durham, triggered an international search after being reported missing in Thailand.
It was later revealed she was arrested in Georgia for carrying 14kg of cannabis.
More recently, 21-year-old Charlotte Lee May from south London was detained in Sri Lanka with 46kg of synthetic cannabis known as ‘Kush’ in her luggage.
Facing a potential 25-year sentence, she denies knowledge of the drugs, claiming they were planted without her awareness.
Ms Bradford’s arrest highlights the ongoing risks faced by individuals involved in drug trafficking overseas and the serious consequences under international laws.
Authorities continue to investigate the origins and networks involved in these incidents as they seek to combat drug smuggling routes.