A young British couple is facing up to 30 years in a Turkish prison after Turkish police allegedly intercepted them at Istanbul Airport with two suitcases filled with cannabis. Holly Cooper and Taylor Johnson, both 20 and from the West Midlands, were stopped on April 26 while attempting to board a connecting flight from Thailand back to London.
The couple have been formally arrested and moved to a jail in Istanbul, their families say. According to relatives, Taylor Johnson was beaten up by officers while being held in a cell. The pair are currently represented by court-appointed public defenders because they do not have their own private lawyers, and their trial is not expected to reach court for up to a year.
Legal process and potential sentencing in Turkey
Under Turkish law the penalties for drug smuggling are severe. If convicted of importing or exporting narcotics, the couple could face between 20 and 30 years in prison. The minimum sentence for drug smuggling is 10 years, rising to a maximum of 30. For domestic sale or supply the range is 10 to 20 years. Turkey enforces a strict zero-tolerance policy, and foreign nationals are subject to the same penalties as Turkish citizens. The legal system distinguishes between possession for personal use, which carries 2 to 5 years and can lead to supervised treatment or probation for first-time offenders, and possession with intent to distribute, which is treated as trafficking. Aggravating factors such as involvement in organised crime or trafficking near schools can increase sentences further. Drug convictions also carry the risk of administrative deportation and an entry ban.
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has confirmed it is providing support to the two British nationals detained in Turkey and is in contact with local authorities.
Family fundraising efforts
With no private legal team in place, friends and family of the couple have launched a fundraising campaign to cover legal fees. A family friend set up a GoFundMe page, writing: “As many of you know Taylor was arrested in Turkey and we need to raise the funds to pay for his solicitor. To some it may be cheeky but if you was put in this position you would do anything to be able to raise the funds.” The same friend described the couple as “good kids” who had “done something stupid” and suggested they may have been exploited by larger criminal networks. As of May 5 the GoFundMe page was no longer accessible online.
Travel history
Holly Cooper, from Wednesbury, and Taylor Johnson, from Coseley, had posted pictures from Gran Canaria in February before flying to Thailand last month. They were returning to the UK via Istanbul when they were stopped by police on April 26. The route from Gran Canaria to Thailand typically involves multiple flights and no direct connections, taking over 20 hours.
Istanbul Airport has been the site of several major drug seizures in recent years. In April 2025 Turkish customs intercepted 455.2 kg of cocaine, and in July 2023 they seized 427 kg of methamphetamine. Across all Turkish border points in 2025 authorities confiscated more than 33 tons of drugs, a 38 per cent increase on the previous year, reflecting Turkey’s position as a significant transit country for narcotics moving towards Europe.
