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Backpacking Tips: Choose Your Friends Carefully & Bribe

Author: Jonty Adderley (Skrufff.com)
Saturday, January 18, 2003
A British packpacker languishing in a hellhole Indian jail after being caught smuggling cannabis has admitted her guilt, reports in the press revealed this week.

22 year old Daisy Angus, who was found with 10kgs of marijuana in her case at Bombay airport 7 weeks ago, has been locked up in Bombay's Arthur road prison where she's already contracted malaria and been sexually assaulted, her family claimed this week.

"She's going through hell," her father told the Telegraph. "I wanted her to tell the truth. She says she knew what she was doing but was totally sucked in by this acquaintance (37 year old Israeli Yorash Kadesh, her travelling companion).

Miss Angus' confession means she'll almost certainly be sentenced to ten years, particularly since she's lost the support of civil rights organisation Fair Trials Abroad, who defend British prisoners locked up unjustly abroad.

"We require a declaration of innocence for any case we take up. We no longer have it," explained Fair Trials Abroad director Stephen Jakobi.

Mr Jakobi warned that Western travellers could be jailed through "guilt by association" if drugs were discovered on people travelling together.

"Travellers should choose their companions carefully even if travelling with an authorised group," he warned, reflecting official guidance from Britain's Foreign Office.

"Don't cross borders with people you don't know or drive across borders with unknown companions," the FO advises.

"If they are found in possession, or the vehicle contains drugs, you could be charged as an accomplice."

Not on the FO website, is another tip that Mr Jakobi offered recently after a British man was accused of possessing 8,000 ecstasy pills in Indonesia the previous week.

"Since I founded Fair Trials Abroad 11 years ago I have never had to deal with a trial in Indonesia," said Mr Jakobi.

"If you want to get out of jail you pay."
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