A Austrian mother smuggles cocaine and is arrested on the plane!
A 36-year-old woman from the Austrian region of Flachgau, a mother of two, traveled to Colombia in the spring of 2025 with the aim of smuggling a kilogram of cocaine to Austria. She arrived in the capital Bogotá in March, and after three days, took a ten-hour bus ride to the city of Cali, known for cartel activities, where she received a bag stuffed with drugs.
During the return flight, while she was already seated on the plane heading to Europe via Frankfurt and then to Linz, she raised suspicions among the flight crew. A flight attendant referred her to a Colombian security officer, and she was arrested after the search revealed cocaine inside her bag.
In the regional court in Salzburg, the defendant admitted to the charges against her, stating that the idea came from her former partner, who threatened her and caused her to fear for her family. She confirmed that she was a victim of pressure and fear, and mentioned that the amount of 12,000 euros was the promised compensation. She also claimed that she did not know that the bag contained cocaine specifically and did not look inside it.
However, the public prosecution relied on seized conversations in which the accused spoke about quantities ranging from 150 to 200 grams, as well as about receiving a bag containing two kilograms.
The judge commented on this by saying: "Don't think we are that naive." Although the Colombian authorities released her after days of detention, expelling her and banning her from returning, she was sentenced in Austria to four and a half years in prison.