Peru Pair Plead Guilty to Drug Smuggling

Michaella McCollum and Melissa Reid who were accused of attempting to smuggle €1.5m worth of cocaine in Peru have pleaded guilty.

McCollum, from Tyrone and Reid from Glasgow gave their please behind closed doors in the country’s capital Lima.

The pair, both 20, were caught with the drugs at Lima airport back in August, and at the time had said that they were forced into smuggling them.

The cocaine was hidden in food packets.

“They will automatically have a sixth off from the minimum jail sentence of eight years and will be sentenced to six years and eight months in prison” said a spokesman for the court in Callao.

It is understood the pair’s pleas were made in exchange for a shorter sentence. McCollum and Reid were returned to the women's prison where they are being held to await their sentencing hearing on October 1^st.