Arrested in Valencia en route to Birmingham: mother and daughter with 42 kilos of cocaine in luggage

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The detainees, aged 47 and 19, are two British women who had allegedly come to mainland Spain to enjoy an Easter break, but chocolate eggs were not on their menu

Ignacio Cabanes

Thursday, 9 April 2026, 12:19

A British woman and her 19-year-old daughter were arrested at Manises Airport in Valencia as they attempted to fly back to the UK with two suitcases full of drugs.

The Guardia Civil foiled their planned exit from Spain and officers seized a total of 42 kilograms of a white substance that later tested positive for cocaine.

The supposed tourists had arrived in Valencia at the beginning of last week to spend a few days in the provincial capital to enjoy Holy Week. Still, it was curious that they were due to fly back to Birmingham on the night of Maundy Thursday. In other words, they were going to miss the main events for Semana Santa in the city's maritime district from Good Friday onwards.

Around 11pm last Thursday, when they were about to board their flight back home to Birmingham Airport, and after they had already checked in their hold luggage (two suitcases), their true intentions were revealed. In their luggage, barely concealed (no false bottoms or other typical concealment methods were used), were 42 kilos of cocaine.

Guardia Civil officers on duty noticed the illegal contents of both checked-in bags and found the drugs in 23 packages plus 13 pills weighing a total of 42 kilograms. Pending further analysis of the drug's purity, it was confirmed on-site as cocaine.

As reported by regional press, the mother and daughter were remanded in custody without bail, under orders from the Guardia Civil's commanding officer for Section 3 and the examining magistrate's court of Quart de Poblet in Valencia. A case has been opened, provisionally, but without prejudice for other possible offences, for an offence against public health for substances that cause serious harm to health.