CARTAGENA, Colombia — Ricky Grant Courage, a 32-year-old tourist from Aberdeen, has been detained by Colombian authorities on drug trafficking charges after sniffer dogs alerted officials to suspicious substances in his luggage. The arrest took place on September 29th at an airport in Cartagena, Colombia, shortly before he was due to board a flight to Scotland.
According to Colombia’s Public Prosecution Service, the arrest was made after the canine unit detected 1,976 grams of cocaine hidden in the suspect’s belongings. Authorities discovered six packages wrapped in black plastic concealed within his bag, which had already been checked in for his flight to Europe.
The prosecutor’s office stated: “The tourist allegedly intended to leave the country with narcotics in his luggage.” Courage has been charged with manufacturing, trafficking, or carrying narcotics, but he denied responsibility for the crime. As a result, he has been remanded in custody at San Sebastián Ternera prison in Cartagena, a notorious jail in Colombia, while awaiting trial.
The length of Courage’s detention in the Colombian prison system remains unclear, and the case is ongoing.