Young Brit Claims She Was Duped in US Drug Smuggling Case
A young British woman facing a possible 60-year sentence in a US prison claims she was unaware she was transporting cocaine, believing she was carrying cash instead, reported by the Mirror. Kim Hall, 28, from Middlesbrough, was detained by Homeland Security agents at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport on August 18 while trying to board a flight to Manchester. During a routine inspection, authorities reportedly discovered 43 kilograms of cocaine in her two suitcases.
Hall, a beautician, asserts that she thought she was bringing home bags filled with cash for two British men who had initially befriended her during a previous holiday in Portugal. According to Hall, they offered her a free trip to Cancun, Mexico, and later requested she bring back two suitcases, claiming they contained $250,000 (£195,000) in cash, according to the Daily Mail. Hall insists she agreed only because she believed it was harmless.
“I’m not a bad person. I’ve never been in trouble in my life and I’m not guilty of what they are accusing me of. They held a gun to my head and threatened to shoot me,” Hall stated, defending herself. She claimed that before leaving Mexico, one of the men threatened her at gunpoint, insisting she transport the bags. She explained that her initial flight was missed due to a scheduling error, which allegedly led to the threats.
Hall further described her encounter with the men, who she said presented themselves as businessmen with real estate interests in Central America. When asked to carry the bags, she reportedly saw no harm, as she believed they contained only money. “I agreed to it because there was no reason not to. It was just money, and I didn’t see anything wrong in it,” Hall told The Sun.
The situation escalated when Hall reached Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, where officials, suspicious of her two large suitcases, conducted a random search and discovered the cocaine. She was detained on the spot, collapsing in tears as she was handcuffed and taken to prison.
Currently on house arrest, Hall is allowed to leave her residence only two days a week, monitored by two electronic tags. Her father, John Hall, 59, has publicly defended her, attributing the incident to “stupidity and naivety.” He insists his daughter is innocent of any intentional wrongdoing.
As Hall faces court proceedings, her case has garnered attention, with family and friends rallying behind her. She maintains her innocence, claiming she was a victim of manipulation and threats by the two men who allegedly coerced her into carrying the bags under false pretenses.