Two young women, Portuguese nationals, have been charged with drug trafficking in Papua New Guinea, after being arrested at the airport in possession of more than 15 kilograms of cocaine.

According to the local press quoted by News to the MinuteThe Portuguese women, aged 20 and 23, were brought before the Waigani District Court on Tuesday, December 17.

The young women, first-year students at universities in Lisbon, were intercepted at the airport on December 7 and were hiding the drugs in their suitcases.

The pair were in possession of "six packages" of "a suspicious white powder" with a "total weight of 7.08 kilograms and another seven packages of 7.94 kilograms." According to the information provided by the police, the substance was tested positive for cocaine. At the time, they told the police that they were carrying the packages, but that they didn't know it was cocaine.

In court, the girls also said that it was a person from Los Angeles, in the United States, who instructed them to transport the packages. The journey, all paid for by this person, began in Luxembourg City, passed through Sydney, Australia, Nadi, Fiji, and finally Port Moresby.

The destination was to take the drug to Brisbane, Australia, where it would be worth 5.2 million Australian dollars, more than 3 million euros.

The pair are currently in the custody of the Immigration and Citizenship Authority at the Bomana Immigration Center and are due back in court on February 13, 2025.

(Photo DR)