‘It seemed really legit,’ says Brit caught with £15m of cocaine after accepting free Cancun holiday from strange men

After receiving a complimentary sunny vacation in Cancun, a British woman was found in possession of 15m of cocaine, saying the arrangement was “really legit.”

Kim Hall, 28, faces 60 years in prison in the United States after it was alleged that she had 43 kg of the Class A substance in her vacation bags.

On August 18, the Middlesbrough, Britain, woman was stopped at Chicago’s O Hare airport while she was passing through security to board a flight to London.

She had been on vacation in Mexico for a week and was returning home.

Kim claimed that two British guys she had met during a previous trip to Portugal had offered her the complimentary vacation to Cancun.

She only needed to return home with two suitcases that she believed held $250,000 in cash.

She was reportedly told themoneybelonged to one of the two men’s families who “lost his passport and was in trouble”.

She consented, but later had a confrontation with the men who confiscated her passport and phone and threatened her with a gun.

When Homeland Security officers discovered the drugs during a random search, Kim was detained in Chicago before she could board a flight home.

As she was handcuffed and taken to the jail, she broke down in tears.

The self-employed beautician protested her innocence on ITV’s This Morning, saying: “It just seemed really legit and straightforward.”

“I was planning to take a vacation, take a break, and simply return with this money to give to a family member as a favor.

“They just said that one of them had lost their passport and they were in trouble and needed to get some money home to their family.”

Kim says she was assured that there was nothing to be concerned about because customs officials could justify the money.

She claimed that the two men “didn’t come across as criminals” and that she needed “a bit of breathing space,” which is why she accepted the free getaway.

“I just needed a little breathing space because I had a lot going on at home at the time, so going there was really a breath of fresh air,” she continued.

“I spentthe holidayalone really for the whole week, I just met them briefly at the beginning and then I spent a lot of time on my own.”

According to the British woman, she “didn’t want to make the situation worse” if any money went missing, so she refrained from looking into the suitcase.

Recently, Kim was accused of unlawfully possessing a prohibited substance with the purpose to deliver it.

Given that she was allegedly caught in possession of over 900 grams, the offense falls under the maximum penalty for a Class X Felony, which entails a sentence of 15 to 60 years in prison.

This month, Kim made an appearance in court in South California.

The British woman came before Judge Michael B. McHale for a two-minute hearing after entering a not guilty plea to possession of a controlled substance and possession with intent to supply in the past.

“My position has not changed,” a defiant Kim declared.

I am not guilty of these accusations. I didn’t deal in narcotics.

In an interview with The Sun, the British beautician stated: I would never intentionally convey narcotics in any form or fashion.

I’m not a bad individual. I’ve never been in trouble before, and I don’t have any criminal records.

According to the woman, one of the males threatened to have her carry the baggage and put a gun to her head.

I wasn’t intentionally smuggling drugs. “With every bone in my body, I will fight to prove my innocence because I am not a drug trafficker,” she declared.

The two men did not merely threaten me verbally.

They believed I was attempting to avoid taking the suitcases, which irritated them.

Holding a pistol to my head, one of them pulled me from the bed by my hair.

“I’ll f*cking shoot you,” he said. I’ve never encountered something so terrifying in my life.

The phrase “come to Mexico for a holiday” has changed to “be held at gunpoint.”

They threatened to shoot me while holding a gun to my head.

She had a panic attack at the airport when she was arrested.

She claimed that I was stunned and utterly numb, experiencing a strange sensation similar to watching someone else in a movie.

I was having trouble breathing.

I sobbed uncontrollably, begging them to allow me to phone my parents.

Kim is under house arrest and is only permitted to leave the house twice a week, although she must wear two electronic tags.

‘DESPERATELY NEEDS HELP’

On one of those days out, the Sun was present when Sarah had an emotional reunion with her father, John, 59, the first relative she had seen since her arrest over three months prior.

John, the construction boss, embraced his daughter before criticizing the government’s lack of assistance.

“The first thing a British national should do when they are in trouble overseas is to call the British Embassy and expect backup,” he said.

I was eventually connected to a support team over the phone, but they informed me that they were not permitted to participate in criminal investigations.

She is in dire need of assistance, I said. After I told them everything, all they did was provide me with a list of charity to get in touch with.

No one offered assistance. The British government disgusts me.

“It’s heartbreaking to see her like this,” John, who is funding Kim’s lawyer, continued. No father would ever see himself in such a predicament.

We’ll exert every effort to bring her home. She is not guilty.

Kim, whose hopes of becoming a theatrical makeup artist are now in ruins, has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder while being jailed on remand.

She added that her physician believes she was having a manic episode when she consented to carry the bags.

“It was a tough pill to swallow, but it was also a relief to know because I thought I’d gone crazy,” she continued.

I think there has been a mental sickness there for a long time, but for the last three or four years, it has gotten much worse.

Because of that, you undoubtedly have cognitive impairment and fail to see the repercussions of an impending negative event.

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