Peru drugs mule set for N Ireland repatriation

PERU drugs mule Michaella McCollum’s repatriation to a Northern Ireland jail has been given the go-ahead by the head of the prison service in Belfast.

Michaella McCollum arrives at court in Callao in December 2013. Picture: Getty

All necessary paperwork has been sent to Peruvian authorities considering the application for transfer, a letter from the Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS) disclosed.

Melissa Reid, from Scotland, and McCollum, from Co Tyrone, were imprisoned in 2013 for six years and eight months after admitting trying to smuggle cocaine worth £1.5 million from Peru to Spain.

A solicitor has described the conditions of their detention as horrendous.

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Sue McAllister, director general of the NIPS, told McCollum’s legal team: “I can confirm that the Peruvian authorities have all of the documentation they require to enable them to make a decision on your client’s application for repatriation.

“This paperwork includes confirmation that NIPS is prepared to accept her as a transferred prisoner.

“However, the final decision on the application is a matter for the Peruvian ministry of justice and human rights.”

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