Laura Plummer and Tramadol

debeli

This unfortunate has now been jailed in Egypt.

I am staggered that she was unaware of the status of the drug in various countries across the globe... I find it highly unlikely that this was a naive mistake.

More seriously, there must have been prescription fraud or something similar in the UK for her to have the 300 Tramadol to pack in her valise.

This is a potentially troublesome drug that is available in the UK by prescription only. Yet a friend of hers managed to 'give' her 300 tablets.

Press coverage in the UK seems remarkably sympathetic towards someone who is likely to have been (one way or another) party to defrauding the NHS.

I may just be a judgemental old bastard.

ballysmate

If she had that amount then I tend to agree with you, I don't think she was naive.
In any case, whenever travelling abroad, I am circumspect regarding any medication and would check the position before I went. Any opiates would have me checking and double checking at the relevant embassy.
Some strange rules around the world and you need to check. For instance, Vicks inhalers are a no no in Japan as they are a stimulant.

pblakeney

Paracetamol could be a mistake.
Tramadol? No chance. She knew. Especially in these quantities.

surrey_commuter

Maybe she is a bag carrier for Team Sky?

coopster_the_1st

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/04/british-woman-languishes-in-egypt-jail-for-carrying-painkillers

She visits her 'husband' 2-4 times a year...

That's a strange relationship. You would have thought that with her husbands back problem she would know the rules on these drugs...

I'm sure this is a perfectly honest mistake :roll: :roll: :roll:

mr_goo

Who travels to a country outside EU without checking what items are not permitted on entry at the border? Clearly this young lady was a chancer and has paid the price. Lucky for her it wasn't a country with a more punitive punishment.

DeVlaeminck

I feel sorry for her. 3 years in some hell hole is a punishment wildly disproportionate to whatever offence she has committed even if knowingly. Sounds to me like she has become infatuated with some younger good looking Egyptian guy - or maybe she just likes having a no strings relationship - and has let that blind her to the possible consequences of smuggling banned painkillers. It appears he already has an Egyptian wife and other women on the go.

Apparently these tablets are worth pence on the black markwt so she's not done this for personal gain.

fat daddy

She knew perfectly well they were not legal .... no one carries 300 pills .. so why was she carrying them ? for her boyfriend because he cant buy them in his country as they are illegal .

now perhaps she didnt realise the severity, but generally speaking if you know something is not legal in a country, you must have a slight idea that carrying it in to that country poses a risk ????

slowbike

Mr Goo wrote:

Who travels to a country outside EU without checking what items are not permitted on entry at the border? Clearly this young lady was a chancer and has paid the price. Lucky for her it wasn't a country with a more punitive punishment.

Me - I don't check when I take my prescription drugs with me on holiday. I do take the packaging and my prescription though.
Mind you - I take enough for my stay plus a few - usually an additional week - just in case. But I'm not aware of abuse of the drug though - if I was taking something like tramadol, then I'd be a bit more cautious. Taking it out for someone else? Nuts. Unless you're travelling with them.

mamba80

DeVlaeminck wrote:

I feel sorry for her. 3 years in some hell hole is a punishment wildly disproportionate to whatever offence she has committed even if knowingly. Sounds to me like she has become infatuated with some younger good looking Egyptian guy - or maybe she just likes having a no strings relationship - and has let that blind her to the possible consequences of smuggling banned painkillers. It appears he already has an Egyptian wife and other women on the go.

Apparently these tablets are worth pence on the black markwt so she's not done this for personal gain.

^this...
she signed a confession at the airport, despite not knowing what it said! then admitted guilt at the hearing, again without knowing what was being asked... she isnt the sharpest knife in the draw.

i understand Tramadol is a prescription drug in Egypt, not illegal.

surrey_commuter

mamba80 wrote:

DeVlaeminck wrote:

I feel sorry for her. 3 years in some hell hole is a punishment wildly disproportionate to whatever offence she has committed even if knowingly. Sounds to me like she has become infatuated with some younger good looking Egyptian guy - or maybe she just likes having a no strings relationship - and has let that blind her to the possible consequences of smuggling banned painkillers. It appears he already has an Egyptian wife and other women on the go.

Apparently these tablets are worth pence on the black markwt so she's not done this for personal gain.

^this...
she signed a confession at the airport, despite not knowing what it said! then admitted guilt at the hearing, again without knowing what was being asked... she isnt the sharpest knife in the draw.

i understand Tramadol is a prescription drug in Egypt, not illegal.

So Egypt should change their legal system so that being a thicko and claiming ignorance of the law gives you a free pass?

mamba80

Surrey Commuter wrote:

mamba80 wrote:

DeVlaeminck wrote:

I feel sorry for her. 3 years in some hell hole is a punishment wildly disproportionate to whatever offence she has committed even if knowingly. Sounds to me like she has become infatuated with some younger good looking Egyptian guy - or maybe she just likes having a no strings relationship - and has let that blind her to the possible consequences of smuggling banned painkillers. It appears he already has an Egyptian wife and other women on the go.

Apparently these tablets are worth pence on the black markwt so she's not done this for personal gain.

^this...
she signed a confession at the airport, despite not knowing what it said! then admitted guilt at the hearing, again without knowing what was being asked... she isnt the sharpest knife in the draw.

i understand Tramadol is a prescription drug in Egypt, not illegal.

So Egypt should change their legal system so that being a thicko and claiming ignorance of the law gives you a free pass?

Re-read what DeV wrote and i agree with.... "i (we) feel sorry for her...." unlike you hang an flog em brigade.

Perhaps if she had decent legal representation, she d have avoided such a long prison sentence?

coopster_the_1st

mamba80 wrote:

Surrey Commuter wrote:

mamba80 wrote:

DeVlaeminck wrote:

I feel sorry for her. 3 years in some hell hole is a punishment wildly disproportionate to whatever offence she has committed even if knowingly. Sounds to me like she has become infatuated with some younger good looking Egyptian guy - or maybe she just likes having a no strings relationship - and has let that blind her to the possible consequences of smuggling banned painkillers. It appears he already has an Egyptian wife and other women on the go.

Apparently these tablets are worth pence on the black markwt so she's not done this for personal gain.

^this...
she signed a confession at the airport, despite not knowing what it said! then admitted guilt at the hearing, again without knowing what was being asked... she isnt the sharpest knife in the draw.

i understand Tramadol is a prescription drug in Egypt, not illegal.

So Egypt should change their legal system so that being a thicko and claiming ignorance of the law gives you a free pass?

Re-read what DeV wrote and i agree with.... "i (we) feel sorry for her...." unlike you hang an flog em brigade.

Perhaps if she had decent legal representation, she d have avoided such a long prison sentence?

Perhaps, if she was not smuggling illegal drugs she would not be in jail.

Stop making excuses for the guilty. If you can't do the time, don't do the crime.

surrey_commuter

mamba80 wrote:

Surrey Commuter wrote:

mamba80 wrote:

DeVlaeminck wrote:

I feel sorry for her. 3 years in some hell hole is a punishment wildly disproportionate to whatever offence she has committed even if knowingly. Sounds to me like she has become infatuated with some younger good looking Egyptian guy - or maybe she just likes having a no strings relationship - and has let that blind her to the possible consequences of smuggling banned painkillers. It appears he already has an Egyptian wife and other women on the go.

Apparently these tablets are worth pence on the black markwt so she's not done this for personal gain.

^this...
she signed a confession at the airport, despite not knowing what it said! then admitted guilt at the hearing, again without knowing what was being asked... she isnt the sharpest knife in the draw.

i understand Tramadol is a prescription drug in Egypt, not illegal.

So Egypt should change their legal system so that being a thicko and claiming ignorance of the law gives you a free pass?

Re-read what DeV wrote and i agree with.... "i (we) feel sorry for her...." unlike you hang an flog em brigade.

Perhaps if she had decent legal representation, she d have avoided such a long prison sentence?

Just irritates me that every Brit nicked abroad is innocent.

She is guilty and should face the consequences.

mamba80

Surrey Commuter wrote:

mamba80 wrote:

Re-read what DeV wrote and i agree with.... "i (we) feel sorry for her...." unlike you hang an flog em brigade.

Perhaps if she had decent legal representation, she d have avoided such a long prison sentence?

Just irritates me that every Brit nicked abroad is innocent.

She is guilty and should face the consequences.[/quote]

Why does it irratate you? do you know these people and the evil deeds they ve done?

She certainly hasnt had a trial along the lines of what any of us would expect in the UK, where mitigating factors would be considered and where a non english speaking defendant would get a suitable translator.

She is going to spend 3 years in a jail far removed from european standards, i suspect if she tops herself there you ll be happy that justice has been served?
sometimes i think the more right wing a person is, the less is their capacity to express any form of compassion.

coopster_the_1st

Surrey Commuter wrote:

Surrey Commuter wrote:

Mambo wrote:

Surrey Commuter wrote:

Re-read what DeV wrote and i agree with.... "i (we) feel sorry for her...." unlike you hang an flog em brigade.

Perhaps if she had decent legal representation, she d have avoided such a long prison sentence?

Just irritates me that every Brit nicked abroad is innocent.

She is guilty and should face the consequences.

Why does it irratate you? do you know these people and the evil deeds they ve done?

She certainly hasnt had a trial along the lines of what any of us would expect in the UK, where mitigating factors would be considered and where a non english speaking defendant would get a suitable translator.

She is going to spend 3 years in a jail far removed from european standards, i suspect if she tops herself there you ll be happy that justice has been served?
sometimes i think the more right wing a person is, the less is their capacity to express any form of compassion.

Fortunately this country has some right wingers with backbone otherwise left wingers would be allowing paedophiles off their sentences because they need to be shown compassion!

She has been made an example of to dissuade others foreigners doing the same thing. Tough, she was stupid enough to think she could get away with it.

robert88

mamba80 wrote:

Surrey Commuter wrote:

mamba80 wrote:

DeVlaeminck wrote:

I feel sorry for her. 3 years in some hell hole is a punishment wildly disproportionate to whatever offence she has committed even if knowingly. Sounds to me like she has become infatuated with some younger good looking Egyptian guy - or maybe she just likes having a no strings relationship - and has let that blind her to the possible consequences of smuggling banned painkillers. It appears he already has an Egyptian wife and other women on the go.

Apparently these tablets are worth pence on the black markwt so she's not done this for personal gain.

^this...
she signed a confession at the airport, despite not knowing what it said! then admitted guilt at the hearing, again without knowing what was being asked... she isnt the sharpest knife in the draw.

i understand Tramadol is a prescription drug in Egypt, not illegal.

So Egypt should change their legal system so that being a thicko and claiming ignorance of the law gives you a free pass?

Re-read what DeV wrote and i agree with.... "i (we) feel sorry for her...." unlike you hang an flog em brigade.

Perhaps if she had decent legal representation, she d have avoided such a long prison sentence?

Or maybe the Foreign Secretary could offer an explanation on her behalf? Isn't that the point of getting our blue passports back?

trivial_poursuivant

I can’t help think that if she were not a young attractive woman and instead a middle aged man, fewer people would give a sh1t and just say tough. Ignorance of the law cannot be seen as an excuse (as others have said slready) the drug is an illegal class C drug in Egypt so it’s not legal full stop. Not even with a prescription.

It’s tough, and the best she can hope for is to have her sentence reduced or an agreement with Egypt she continues to serve her sentence in a UK jail but if she broke the law there is not much else you can do

surrey_commuter

mamba80 wrote:

Surrey Commuter wrote:

mamba80 wrote:

Re-read what DeV wrote and i agree with.... "i (we) feel sorry for her...." unlike you hang an flog em brigade.

Perhaps if she had decent legal representation, she d have avoided such a long prison sentence?

Just irritates me that every Brit nicked abroad is innocent.

She is guilty and should face the consequences.

Why does it irratate you? do you know these people and the evil deeds they ve done?

She certainly hasnt had a trial along the lines of what any of us would expect in the UK, where mitigating factors would be considered and where a non english speaking defendant would get a suitable translator.

She is going to spend 3 years in a jail far removed from european standards, i suspect if she tops herself there you ll be happy that justice has been served?
sometimes i think the more right wing a person is, the less is their capacity to express any form of compassion.[/quote]

To me it is symptomatic of Little Englander mentality. If they are British they are innocent and being unfairly treated.

Are you confident that the Egyptians are not trying to stop the supply of medical supplies to ISIS?

What sentence do you think would be appropriate to punish her and deter others from smuggling illegal products into their country?

wongataa

Debeli wrote:

More seriously, there must have been prescription fraud or something similar in the UK for her to have the 300 Tramadol to pack in her valise.

It was. She had to get friends to persuade doctors to get it on prescription so they could give the pills to her. She knew that she couldn't get that amount of Tramadol legitimately in the UK. This was reported when she was first imprisoned in Egpyt, before the trial.

debeli

Part of the reason I started this thread was because it seemed to me that the press were overlooking or choosing to make little of how she sourced the tramadol and other prescription medication in the UK.

She is quoted as saying it was provided by a friend. Although it is a synthetic opiate, its (widespread) recreational use both here and in Egypt is of grave concern to many.

It is not easy to 'innocently' or 'naively' obtain in the UK. I see the guilty party as an unfortunate. I cannot moralise or get too political about this. It is just a case of the illegal trafficking of controlled substances being treated according to the laws of the land where the offence was uncovered.

The woman and her family may or may not be people lacking a little education, culture or worldliness, but I dare say I would turn up the melodrama if a relative of mine had been jailed abroad.

Meanwhile, it is likely that a crime - prescription fraud or similar or much worse - has been commited in this country. That concerns me more than the sentence in Egypt.

And the press report about the street value of a tablet in Egypt being only pennies is VERY wide of the mark. Very, very wide.

Ben6899

If an Egypt national had smuggled a large amount of illegal drugs into the UK - and been sentenced accordingly - would we all be jumping to his or her defence?

Nope.

1. Ignorance of the law is not a mitigating factor whatsoever.

2. She actually also broke the law over here to obtain such a fucktonne of Tramadol in the first place.

3. Re: 1. I don't believe her ignorance. I honestly don't.

mamba80

Coopster the 1st wrote:

Surrey Commuter wrote:

Surrey Commuter wrote:

Mambo wrote:

Surrey Commuter wrote:

Re-read what DeV wrote and i agree with.... "i (we) feel sorry for her...." unlike you hang an flog em brigade.

Perhaps if she had decent legal representation, she d have avoided such a long prison sentence?

Just irritates me that every Brit nicked abroad is innocent.

She is guilty and should face the consequences.

Why does it irratate you? do you know these people and the evil deeds they ve done?

She certainly hasnt had a trial along the lines of what any of us would expect in the UK, where mitigating factors would be considered and where a non english speaking defendant would get a suitable translator.

She is going to spend 3 years in a jail far removed from european standards, i suspect if she tops herself there you ll be happy that justice has been served?
sometimes i think the more right wing a person is, the less is their capacity to express any form of compassion.

Fortunately this country has some right wingers with backbone otherwise left wingers would be allowing paedophiles off their sentences because they need to be shown compassion!

Here you go, under a Tory administration too... looks like its the right wing that has the love for the depraved sicko's of this world.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/cr ... 30831.html

Laura Plummer is an idiot, no doubt but i ve not said her sentence should nt be served have i? all i ve expressed is sympathy for her plight and in no way can she be compared to Maggie Thatchers favourite DJ either.

Ben6899

I'm as liberal as they come, but I can't have any sympathy with her. I just can't.

Matthewfalle

Done the crime

Doing the time

No tears being shed from this household.

orraloon

From Hull? Leave voting thicko then, no loss. Feliz navidad.

Matthewfalle

Smash?

coopster_the_1st

mamba80 wrote:

Laura Plummer is an idiot, no doubt but i ve not said her sentence should nt be served have i? all i ve expressed is sympathy for her plight and in no way can she be compared to Maggie Thatchers favourite DJ either.

Plight - 'a dangerous, difficult, or otherwise unfortunate situation'

Your morale compass needs a reset. This is a situation of her creation.

pblakeney

Debeli wrote:

The woman and her family may or may not n people lacking a little education, culture or worldliness, but I date say I would turn up the melodrama id a relative of mine had been jailed abroad.

May I suggest that Midnight Express be made a public information film and played at high school?
Different country etc, but the principal is the same. I would not consider smuggling drugs. Anywhere. Anytime.

Matthewfalle

There are also at least 7 million better places to point your sympathy towards.

A really rubbish tramadol smuggler isn’t one.

DeVlaeminck

Debeli wrote:

Meanwhile, it is likely that a crime - prescription fraud or similar or.much worse - has been commuted in this country. That concerns me more than the sentence in Egypt.

And the press report about the street value of a tablet in Egypt being only pennies is VERY wide of the mark. Very, very wide.

Ok when younsay "much worse" what are you hinting at?

How much do tramadol go for in Egypt?

I only heard of the drug when it turned out Team Sky were handing them out like smarties.