A British couple are facing up to 30 years in prison after allegedly attempting to smuggle two suitcases packed with cannabis into the UK.

Holly Cooper and her boyfriend Taylor Johnson, both 20, were detained in Istanbul, Turkey, while on a flight from Thailand. Officers seized the pair as they made their way towards their connecting flight to London at the end of last month.

Following interrogation, the couple were reportedly thrown into an overcrowded holding cell, where Taylor was allegedly beaten by Turkish inmates, according to claims made by family sources.

The pair, both from Wednesbury in the West Midlands, were subsequently transferred to a different prison. However, it could be as long as a year before the case reaches trial, and the couple currently have no private legal representation, relying instead on a state-appointed legal team.

Friends are now rallying to raise funds to cover the couple's legal costs, as their worried families anxiously await news of any developments. If found guilty, the pair could face a minimum sentence of between 10 and 30 years in gaol, reports the Mirror.

A family friend described the couple as "good kids". Speaking to The Sun, the friend said: "OK, they've done something stupid this time, but everyone makes mistakes.

"They've been recruited and groomed by bigger criminals and exploited by them. They are alone in a Turkish prison. It's shocking and apparently Taylor has been beaten up. The families are in bits." In February, Holly shared photographs taken in Gran Canaria, Spain, before the couple journeyed to Thailand the following month. They subsequently attempted to return to the UK on April 26, before being detained by Turkish police.

A GoFundMe fundraiser had been established by Taylor's family in a bid to cover his legal costs, however the page appears to have since been removed.

The page read: "To some it may be cheeky but if you was put in this position you would do anything to be able to raise the funds. Please if you do not want to help don't but if you could just donate as little as pound it will all help and be very much appreciated."

A FCDO spokesperson said: "We are providing support to two British nationals detained in Turkey as well as their families, and are in touch with local authorities."

Last year, British citizens were held in numerous countries including Spain, Sri Lanka, Ghana, Germany, Indonesia, Chile, and the United States, frequently while carrying large amounts of drugs in their luggage.

In December 2025, the head of the NCA's Borders Threat Team, Beki Wright, issued a stark warning to individuals being enticed by criminal gangs, particularly in destinations such as Thailand, with the promise of lavish holidays in return for transporting "packages".

Wright said: "Don't risk your life for a free holiday. Couriers are risking a potentially life-changing conviction and prison sentence and we continue to target them as part of our ongoing efforts to break the supply chain.

"We continue to warn anyone who is tempted by a quick pay day or free holiday in return for smuggling drugs, such as cannabis, the risks are huge and the chance of getting caught is very high. It just isn't worth it."