A Mexican woman was charged Thursday with trying to smuggle more than 30 pounds of cocaine into Britain by strapping bags of the drug to the legs of two children.
Elisa Vazquez Sanchez, 40, was detained Tuesday at London's Heathrow Airport after customs officers found cocaine strapped to the legs of the children, ages 11 and 13, after the three arrived on a flight from Mexico.
Authorities said the 33 pounds of the cocaine had an estimated street value of $1.36 million.
On Thursday, a judge at Uxbridge Magistrates Court ordered her detained until a March 18 hearing. Her relationship with the children was not disclosed.
The girl was released without charge, and the boy was freed on bail and ordered to appear at a police station on April 10, customs officials said.
Both children are now in the care of social services.
"We never cease to be amazed at the lengths to which some people will go to hide drugs from us when they pass through our controls," said Bob Gaiger, Revenue & Customs spokesman at Heathrow.
