Two British women who went missing from the Spanish island of Ibiza turned up in the most peculiar of places this week. Though their families are relieved to know they are alive, both women are now in custody in Peru after being caught trying to smuggle over 24 pounds of cocaine into Spain.

Melissa Reid, 19, from Glasgow, and photography student Michaella McCollum Connolly, 20, from Co. Tyrone, were both caught last week attempting to board a plane from Lima to Madrid when they were stopped by authorities. After having their bags searched, police found cocaine packaged up in food containers in both of their luggage.

So far, the two women have both maintained their innocence. Both have stated that they were coerced by gangs into taking the packages with them at gunpoint after being transported from Ibiza to Morocco, and eventually to Peru. The girls state that they were unaware there were any drugs in their luggage. Archibishop Sean Walsh, who has worked with criminals in Peru for several years and was able to speak to the women, believes their story:

"My personal feeling with these girls? They really and truly have been set up. They are embarrassed at how everything has affected their families back home. They are devastated by that but I assured them they need to stay strong. They are due to appear in a court on Wednesday when they will be interrogated by a judge. They believe they were set up and they will use that as a defense."

Reid and McCollum Connolly were both caught with almost 6 pounds of cocaine each. That total means that both were carrying over a $1 million worth of drugs at the time of their address. Both women have been kept in Peruvian custody since their arrest, and there have been reports that they have had little to eat out of despair and anguish over their predicament.

"I spoke to Michaella last night and she emphasized that she denied that she was guilty of any offence. She is well. She is not on hunger strike. She is finding it difficult to cope with the current situation, so far from home, but is optimistic," said Peter Madden, solicitor for McCollum Connolly's family.

Currently, the girls are both being held in separate maximum security holding cells. The jails in Peru are notoriously poor, and it is likely that they would not fare well if sentenced to serve time. The maximum penalty for the possible charges that could be levied against them would be 25 years, though it could take a long while for them to even get to court.

"[If] they are charged they will be sent to prison before their trial goes ahead and we understand that the maximum period for pre-trial detention is 36 months. If you are charged with a drugs offense, it is our understanding that you are very unlikely to get released before your trial takes place; you're almost ineligible for bail," noted Bruno Minn from Fair Trials International.