There are currently various reports about a British woman who's found herself in trouble in Egypt. Inevitably the British media is putting the best spin it can on the story though it seems that there's much about it which suggests guilt.
Laura Plummer, a shop assistant from Hull, was arrested after being caught with 300 'Tramadol' tablets in her luggage. Ms Plummer apparently has an Egyptian boy friend who has a bad back and she claims that the tablets are for him; it also appears that she travels to Egypt on a regular basis.
Now, 'Tramadol' is available in the UK on prescription but is illegal in Egypt due to its use by addicts. Ms Plummer claims that she did not know that it is illegal in Egypt.
That this story has several rather large holes in it is obvious. Firstly, no doctor would be likely to prescribe 300 tablets on a single prescription and certainly not for a person who is not registered as a patient and does not live in the UK; Ms Plummer says that she obtained the drugs from a friend, which certainly suggests that she knew her actions were questionable.
Secondly, 'Tramadol' is an opioid used to treat moderately severe pain but, no doubt, there are other pain killers available in Egypt which her boyfriend could have taken for his bad back. Why did Ms Plummer need to be taking such a large quantity of the drug with her, 300 tablets probably amounting to several months supply ?.
Thirdly, why did her boyfriend not obtain the 'Tramadol', or some alternative, for himself; that he didn't strongly suggests that he, and therefore she, was well aware that there is an issue with them as far as the Egyptian authorities are concerned. It could also suggest that the story of the bad back is simply cover for a trafficking operation.
Ms Plummer seems to be relying on a claim that she did not know that she was breaking Egyptian law by bringing 'Tramadol' into that country. Not unsurprisingly, and in common with British law, the Egyptian authorities simply respond by saying that ignorance of the law is no excuse. Given this stance and the clearly doubtful nature of Ms Plummer's activities, what defence does she have ?
Clearly, Ms Plummer is either stupid or a drug smuggler; either way, she surely deserves whatever punishment the Egyptian authorities determine.
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