Briton facing 60 years in US jail for ‘drug smuggling’ claims innocence

Key points:

• Robert Edward Willis, 61, claims he was unaware that £200k of cocaine was hidden in his luggage.
• The former soldier was arrested in Nashville, Tennessee in September 2021 after a sniffer dog detected the drugs in his case.
• Willis, from Redruth, Cornwall, said he had been traveling with friends and had no knowledge of the drugs.

The incident

A British man is facing up to 60 years in a US jail after being caught with £200,000 worth of cocaine in his luggage. Robert Edward Willis, 61, was arrested at Nashville International Airport in September 2021 after a sniffer dog detected the drugs in his case. Willis, from Redruth, Cornwall, is accused of smuggling the drugs into the US from Mexico. He has denied the charges, claiming he was unaware that the drugs were in his luggage.

Willis's claims

Willis told the court that he had been traveling with friends and had no knowledge of the drugs. He said that he had packed his own bags but had not checked them thoroughly. Willis said that he was “shocked and horrified” when he was arrested and that he had never been involved in drug smuggling before.

The prosecution case

The prosecution claims that Willis was part of a drug-smuggling ring and that he was aware of the drugs in his luggage. They said that the drugs were found in a false bottom of his suitcase and that Willis had taken steps to conceal them. The prosecution also said that Willis had made suspicious phone calls to Mexico in the weeks leading up to his arrest.

The trial

Willis's trial is scheduled to begin on 10th April. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is expected to give evidence in his own defense. If convicted, Willis faces a maximum sentence of 60 years in prison.