Pair possibly going to jail after having their baggage tags ‘exchanged with bags containing illicit substances’ in airport ‘scheme’ – International News

Ahmed Hasan and Malak Treki are facing 30 years in prison after luggage tags from their belongings were put on suitcases filled with 43kg of cocaine without their knowledge at São Paulo International Airport. Despite detectives stating the couple were innocent victims of a criminal scheme, they have been detained for years and separated from their children in Libya. The tags taken from their luggage were attached to cocaine-filled bags on a different flight, implicating them in drug trafficking charges. A Brazilian investigation uncovered an international gang swapping luggage tags at the airport, exonerating Ahmed and Malak.

Authorities in Turkey have insisted that the couple remain in jail until their trial scheduled for May, even though they have been described as being in poor health and emotionally distressed. Ahmed, who has Brazilian citizenship, traveled with his family to Turkey from Brazil in 2022, only to be arrested upon his return for alleged drug smuggling. Despite the lack of video evidence from the airport showing the tag swapping, Brazilian police have found other proof of the couple’s innocence. Their solicitor is advocating for them to be allowed to see their children before the trial.

The drug trafficking charges apply to both Ahmed and Malak, who have been held in a Turkish jail since their arrest, facing the possibility of up to 30 years behind bars. The lawyer representing them in Brazil emphasized how the Turkish authorities’ failure to inform Brazilian police about the drugs found in the luggage has complicated the case. The couple’s trial is set for May, and their solicitor argues that the evidence of their innocence should result in their immediate release to reunite with their children in Libya.

The couple’s ordeal began when Ahmed was arrested upon his return to Turkey and accused of international drug smuggling. Malak, who was in Libya with their children, was requested to attend the hearing and has been detained along with Ahmed since then. The children, who are with their grandparents in Libya, long for their parents and cry every day asking for them. The couple’s solicitor is determined to prove their innocence and secure their release before the trial in May, highlighting the impact on their family and the injustice of their continued imprisonment.

Despite being victims of a criminal scheme at the airport, Ahmed and Malak face a protracted legal battle that has kept them away from their children and subjected them to harsh conditions in Turkish jail. The case underscores the devastating consequences of wrongful accusations and the importance of a fair and expeditious legal process. With mounting evidence of their innocence, their supporters are urging Turkish authorities to reconsider their detention and allow them to return home to be with their children. The couple’s fate now hangs on the upcoming trial in May, where they hope to finally clear their names and reunite with their family.