Revealed: The plea deal lawyers believe can minimise accused drug smuggler's Colombian prison sentence
Seven News can reveal lawyers for the Australian woman accused of trying to smuggle drugs out of Colombia are negotiating a plea deal to minimise her potential prison sentence.
They hope any deal will see Cassandra Sainsbury freed after two years.
It was reportedly a plane ticket purchased in Hong Kong under Ms Sainsbury’s name that raised suspicions with authories.
Seven News has confirmed that it was the Drug Enforcement Agency in North America that tipped off police in Colombia.
They sent an email to police on April 5, a week before Ms Sainsbury’s arrest, alerting them to her passport number, name and and photograph.
When she arrived at the airport in Bogota on April 12 she was stopped by police and searched, and that is when officers allegedly found 18 packets of cocaine concealed in headphones in her luggage.
Ms Sainsbury has maintained her innocence.
She says she was duped by a man who promised to sell her headphones to take back to Australia.
New details are also emerging about Ms Sainsbury’s movements in the lead-up to her journey.
It is understood she visited China and Los Angeles before travelling to Colombia.
Ms Sainsbury remains in El Buen Pastor women’s prison in as she awaits a court date.
The next step will be to decide if she enters a guilty or not guilty plea.
