Brazilian tourists spent 38 days in prison for 43 kg of cocaine: how airport employees set them up.

According to The Sun: Before embarking on their dream trip to Europe, Katina Baia and her partner Jeanne Paolini were filled with excitement.

However, the least they could imagine was that they would end up in prison, trying to prove their innocence after 43 kg of drugs worth £2.5 million were found in their suitcases.

Deception and Innocence

The couple from Brazil fell victim to a complex criminal scheme orchestrated at São Paulo International Airport. Two airport employees swapped their luggage for suitcases actually filled with drugs.

Footage from surveillance cameras showed airport staff removing the couple's bags from the conveyor belt, removing their names from the tags and attaching them to drug-filled suitcases.

Currently, one kilogram of this drug cocktail is considered worth around £50,000 in Europe, so the total value of their shipment reached £2.5 million.

When Katina and Jeanne landed at Frankfurt airport, they were arrested and held in custody for 38 days on suspicion of drug trafficking.

They told The Sun that after numerous searches and time spent in a German prison, they felt 'humiliated' until the criminals' scheme was uncovered.

Unpleasant Arrests

The couple planned a 20-day trip across Europe that began in March, flying from their hometown of Goiânia, Brazil, to Berlin with layovers in São Paulo and Frankfurt.

After landing in Germany, Jeanne encountered a plainclothes officer who immediately invited her for questioning.

She recalls that she did not think much of it, considering it a standard procedure at the airport.

However, the Brazilian couple was arrested and interrogated by police in Frankfurt, before being transferred to prison.

Jeanne told The Sun:

“It was a huge shock for us and our families.”

“I was taken to a room without windows, and as soon as I entered, he [the officer] asked me to put my hands against the wall and put on handcuffs, stating that I was arrested.”

“I started asking why he was arresting me, but I could only understand the word 'cocktail' as he spoke in German.”

The 40-year-old veterinarian initially thought it was a misunderstanding since she only brought flu medications with her.

However, she soon realized that the situation was more serious as she was handcuffed and taken to police custody at Frankfurt airport.

The authorities confirmed that there were 43 kg of drugs in the suitcases.

“We were guilty until we proved our innocence, and from the start, we were treated as convicted criminals.”

Katina Baia

Long-lasting Suffering

The couple spent 24 hours in prison before a hearing, after which they were transferred to a women's prison on the outskirts of Frankfurt for 38 days.

Katina noted: “At night I heard all these women crying, not knowing if it was one of them who was Jeanne, as we were in separate cells.”

They lost count of how many times they were searched – it was extremely humiliating.

“We also lost track of how many times we were searched; it was extremely humiliating.”

Katina Baia

The 44-year-old fitness personality said that she couldn’t properly take her medications for a chronic illness after brain aneurysm surgery.

She was given treatment without regard to medical instructions.

Recovery from Horrors

On April 11th, Katina and Jeanne were finally released from prison.

A request for their release was filed by prosecutors in Germany, and it was confirmed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as the couple's attorney Chayana Kus.

The couple claims that this still has a major psychological impact, as investigations in Germany are still ongoing.

Katina said:

“What we went through in prison is still very vivid in our minds.”

“I still have not been able to return to normal life, as these emotional, psychological, and spiritual wounds are still open.”

Jeanne added:

“When we think we are free from the trauma, it leads us back to that cell.”

Last week, the couple made their first trip abroad since their release from the German prison, this time to Patagonia.