Ghana drug suspects held in prison

Two teenagers arrested in Ghana on suspicion of cocaine smuggling are being held in prison.

The youths, one aged 16 and another aged 19, who are both thought to live in east London, were intercepted by Ghanaian officers at Accra Airport.

Both are Lithuanian nationals who had been resident in the UK. They had been about to board a plane to Gatwick when they were arrested.

A British Revenue and Customs spokesman said they had been "provisionally charged" with drugs offences and were in prison.

He could not give any details of court hearings and when the legal process might begin.

It is thought the pair were on their way back from a West African holiday when they were arrested.

They were allegedly carrying several kilos of pure cocaine in pellet form, which they had swallowed as well as hidden in their shoes and luggage.

The drugs have an estimated street value of more than £500,000 in the UK.

The 16-year-old told police he has a British mother and is a student at Newham College in east London.

The Revenue and Customs spokesman said: "This is another case which really should stand out as a clear warning to any youngster who is tempted to get involved in smuggling drugs out of Ghana.

"Controls out there are really quite tight and there is a very high likelihood that you will get arrested."

West Africa is increasingly becoming a transit point for drugs headed to Europe. Cocaine, mostly from Colombia, is brought on small planes and dropped on islands off the coast, then distributed to couriers who carry it into Europe.

Two British teenage girls are currently on trial in Ghana on drugs charges.

They were arrested in July for allegedly trying to smuggle nearly 6kg of cocaine home to England after a holiday.

Their next hearing is on November 21 and they face ten-year jail terms if convicted.

© Independent Television News Limited 2007. All rights reserved.