- ...smiling in taking pictures with riot police 'during kidnap period'
Michaella
McCollum (left) and Melissa Reid (right) pose for a photograph taken
from the evidence Peruvian police compiled against them after they were
caught with 11.5kg of cocaine at Lima's international airport
Unseen
images show convicted drug mules Michaella McCollum and Melissa Reid
posing with Peruvian police - at a time they claimed they were in fear
of their lives from a 'kidnapping gang'.
The
snaps were taken from two Blackberry phones and a camera seized by
police at Lima's Jorge Chávez International Airport airport after they
uncovered over 11.5kg of cocaine in their bags.
Initially,
the pair told investigators that they had been held hostage by a group
of drug traffickers and that they were in fear of their lives.
But the two women appear to be having the time of their lives as they posed for the photographs.
Here
the two pose for a photograph next to a young local boy around the time
they claimed they were being held hostage by kidnappers and living in
fear of their lives
In another photograph, McCollum is seen posing for a photograph with a group of anti-riot police officers
The
photos were taken around the Inca world heritage site of Machu Picchu
(pictured), near Cusco in Peru, on August 2 and 3, 2013
It
had also been revealed that text messages between the two women show
they were close pals before travelling to Peru - and not strangers like
McCollum claimed.
When quizzed about
the photos found on their phones, McCollum told Peruvian cops: 'A
photograph can hide what you really feel inside.'
The
self-described model and dancer from County Tyrone, in Ireland also
said that the police had asked her and pal Melissa to pose for the
pictures.
'The police asked us to take
photos with them, we were too scared to tell them [they were allegedly
under duress] because if we told the police he was going to call to make
a statement about it,' she said in her official declaration.
'And
also, Enrique [a drug dealer who the pair say organised their trip] had
pictures of my family and a photocopy of my passport.'
Michaella McCollum poses in a photograph found on phones Peruvian police confiscated after their arrest
Investigators then asked why she and Reid had such a 'cheerful attitude' in the photos if they were in fear of their lives.
The
former photography student replied: 'A photograph can hide what you
really feel inside. Enrique had told us to take photos showing
happiness.'
The photos were taken around the Inca world heritage site of Machu Picchu, near Cusco in Peru, on August 2 and 3, 2013.
The pair flew from Lima to the popular tourist destination for four days before returning on August 4.
Authorities believe the trip was booked to make the duo look like regular tourists.
It
also emerged through text messages on their phones that the pair were
close friends. McCollum claimed the pair had only just met in Majorca
airport.
When asked about the
'friendship, enmity or kinship' she shared with Reid, she said: 'The
first time I met her was at the airport in Mallorca, accompanied by a
Peruvian man.'
This was despite the
fact that the pair did not travel to Peru at the same time. Revealed in
messages stored on their phones we can see a deep friendship that
appears far more than two days old.
One
Blackberry phone each was seized from both girls. Reid had one sim
card, while McCollum had two. They say they were bought for them by
Enrique.
In the messages, McCollum
reveals just after arriving that she says she does not like the country
that she has called home for the last three years.
The state's prosecutor has revealed Interpol and immigration officers will monitor McCollum during her remaining time in Peru.
Melissa
Reid (left) from Scotland, and Michaella McCollum (right) from Ireland,
pictured following their arrest in 2013, were arrested for drug
smuggling at Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima, Peru
Chief Public Prosecutor for drugs Sonia Medina has said the 23-year-old will be watched while she serves out her parole.
Speaking
from her office in Lima, Ms Medina stressed that neither McCollum or
her accomplice Melissa Reid, 23, were victims in any way.
'These
girls are not a major case for us. It is one of thousands we have on
our books. At the moment, it is one of 93,000 my office is handling,'
she said.
'That
being said, what they have done is far-reaching and very serious. They
have knowingly contributed to an illegal operation that affects every
member of this state and other countries.
'You
can say they are stupid, you can say they were naive, but the bottom
line is they knew exactly what they were doing, and they were going to
be very well paid for it.'
The
prosecutor went on to note that McCollum and Reid, did not have a leg to
stand on legally after an investigation found the cocaine they had been
carrying was linked with a top Peruvian drug dealer.
Ms Medina said the duo identified the man, known as 'Uncle Charlie,' when they visited his apartment in Lima.
She
added this visit 'may' pose a threat to their safety, but added this
was unlikely, with officers from Interpol and the immigration service
watching the former photography student.
Ms Medina noted that Interpol's interest stemmed mainly from the dancer's interaction with the 'very famous' drug dealer.
'All the time we knew they were lying,' said Ms Medina. 'We knew all of these stories about being kidnapped were nonsense.'
McCollum,
an aspiring model and photography student from Dungannon, was released
on parole at 5pm last Thursday after serving two years and three months
of her six-year eight-month sentence.
A judicial process will now determine what, if any, conditions are attached to McCollum's parole.
It
had been reported that moves are being made to repatriate her to
Northern Ireland, but sources said this would probably not happen until
the end of the year.
Reid,
from Lenzie, near Glasgow, is still in Ancon Dos as she has petitioned
for a transfer to Scotland, where she will serve the rest of her
sentence, rather than take advantage of parole in Peru.
Courtesy: mail
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