Daughter says mother knew nothing of alleged 67.2-kilo cocaine smuggling

A 24-year-old woman has told Holbæk Court that her mother did not know cocaine was hidden in their car, as both women face charges of smuggling 67.2 kilos of cocaine from Germany to Denmark, DR reports.

The women are accused of bringing at least 30 kilos into Denmark on August 18 and a further 37.2 kilos on November 2 last year. They were arrested later on November 2 and have been held in custody since November 3.

According to the indictment, the cocaine was hidden in a compartment in the younger woman’s Peugeot 5008. On both journeys, the women’s three children, all under the age of 10, were in the car.

The daughter has pleaded not guilty to the August charge but partially admitted the November charge. Her 46-year-old mother denies both charges.

“My mother did not know there was cocaine in the car,” the daughter said during her testimony. When the prosecutor read out the mother’s statement from the initial custody hearing, it emerged that she felt exploited and deceived by her daughter.

The women said the trips to Germany were recreational outings that included shopping at Primark and Fleggaard. The daughter said the cocaine found in the car on November 2 had been placed there a month earlier in Sæby. She said she did not know about the hidden compartments and would not say who placed the drugs there.

She said the cocaine was supposed to be driven to Lolland, but she later ended up at a crisis centre and never completed the task. While there, she forgot that the drugs were in the car. She maintained that the cocaine had been placed in the vehicle before the trip to Germany.

During the hearing, the court played several recordings from the car journey in November, including room and telephone interceptions. Prosecutor Andreas Dahl asked what was meant by saying that the mother should come along “so it looks more like a family trip”. The daughter said she feared the municipality would place her children in care if they were looked after too much.

The prosecutor also presented pictures of banknotes that the 24-year-old had saved on Snapchat. She said the money came from sugardating, in which she had gone on dates with several men in exchange for payment.

The trial continues on Friday. A verdict is expected on August 31.