A Swedish woman in her 70s has died in custody in the Philippines. She was arrested in September on suspicion of smuggling six kilograms of methamphetamine into the country. The circumstances of her death remain unknown.
A Swedish citizen in her 70s, who is also reported to have had Swiss citizenship according to unconfirmed reports, died on December 6 in a Philippine jail. The woman was registered as emigrated from Sweden and faced life imprisonment for drug smuggling.
She was arrested in mid-September at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila. The woman had arrived on a flight from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. The Philippines' customs authority discovered six kilograms of methamphetamine in her suitcase through baggage X-ray and a drug-sniffing dog. A test confirmed it was amphetamine worth about 6.5 million Swedish kronor.
Customs spokesperson Ariel F Nepomuceno commented on the arrest: “This operation sends a clear message to international drug syndicates: The Philippines will not be a gateway for illegal drugs. Our ports and airports remain under strict surveillance.”
Following the arrest, the woman spent over two months in custody. The Swedish Foreign Ministry (UD) confirms the death and states that relatives have been notified. The circumstances of the death are unknown.
The Philippines' prison system is described as overcrowded, with reports of physical and psychological torture from organizations such as the Red Cross, Human Rights Watch, and the UN. Thousands of people die each year in the country's prisons.
