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Accused drug smuggler Sainsbury tells of threats, chaos inside Colombian jail

Adelaide woman Cassie Sainsbury has told of the chaos and threats she feels as she continues to be held in prison in Colombia on drug charges.

Australian citizen Cassandra Sainsbury
Image of Cassandra Sainsbury from Colombian authorities (AAP) Source: AAP

Accused Australian cocaine smuggler Cassie Sainsbury feels genuine threats to her safety are "not very far away" as she continues to be held in a Colombian prison.

Ms Sainsbury's life in Bogota's El Buen Pastor jail is chaotic and she's expressed concern at being bullied by other prisoners.

"There's a lot of chaos here ... quite a few of the inmates here are very pushy with me. They push past me. They start abusing me in Spanish because they know I don't understand it and I haven't actually done anything wrong," she told News Corp in an exclusive interview.

The 22-year-old said she did not yet think her fellow prisoners were a real threat to her safety.

"But I feel like it's not very far away because there was a photo leaked of me here," she said.

Ms Sainsbury was detained at El Dorado International Airport on April 12 after 5.8 kilograms of cocaine was allegedly found hidden inside 18 headphone boxes in her suitcase.

She reportedly told a Colombian lawyer that she was tricked and given the headphones by a man she knew only as Angelo or Tom.

The man offered to buy her the headphones for a cheap price and brought them to her at the airport.

Ms Sainsbury's family continues to maintain she is innocent and was set up with her fiance telling reporters he was certain she wasn't involved in the drug trade.

Her mother Lisa Evans and sister Khala Sainsbury have also arrived in Bogota to see her, with her only visitors in jail so far being her local lawyer and Australian consular officials.

Her mother and sister declined to comment when questioned at Adelaide Airport before their departure on Wednesday.


2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP



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