There are some things I don't understand

[idun]

What I don't understand is that anyone could be accused of anything and then say that gangs had threatened their lives.

Now, I'm not being deliberately obtuse here, but I reckon that prisons are full of criminals and probably gang contacts, so why would anyone say anything about a gang in the first place The thought of shopping the gang and also being in prison, would, to me at least, be as terrifying as the initial threat, if not more so.

 As soon as I had been threated in the first place, I would have been on the phone to my parents and get them to get me a flight home immediately.

[Rabbie]

What is the back story behind this? I think that some young girls (and boys) can naively get drawn into doing things for some one they have feelings for and then find they are being threatened once they realise the full implications of what they have done.

[NickP]

The very obvious answer to this problem would be to carry the bags to the airport, go to customs check in and tell them that  all the contents of the bags are not yours, and that you are being forced to carry them. Explain why you are in this situation and I would imagine they would then deal with the problem and arrange your safe passage back via your embassy. But to take them through customs and say nothing , you are on a hiding to nothing, unless of course you thought you might get away with it. [Www]

[Théière]

Yep NickP, that seems to sum it up. You can only claim duress until you have a point at which you can hand yourself in and explain, beyond that it's a criminal act if you get caught.

[woolybanana]

Two very silly young girls by the sound of it whose lives are now ruined. So very sad.