Family Claims 28-Year-Old Beautician, Kim Hall, Was Threatened and Forced into Smuggling After a ‘Free Holiday’ Offer Turned Deadly
28-year-old beautician from Middlesbrough, Kim Hall, is facing up to 60 years in a U.S. prison after allegedly smuggling £3.5 million worth of cocaine from Mexico. Hall was arrested at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport when authorities discovered 43kg of cocaine in two suitcases.
Coerced Into Crime?
Kim claims she was coerced by two men who initially offered her a free trip to Cancun. According to her family, these men threatened her and her family after she arrived, forcing her to carry the suitcases, which she was told contained $250,000 in cash.
Her father, John Hall, 59, insists Kim had no knowledge of the drugs and had only agreed to carry the suitcases out of fear.
“She’s not a drug smuggler,” he said. “She thought she was carrying money. They threatened her family, and that’s why she did it.”
A Case of Naivety?
John explains Kim first met the men during a trip to Portugal, where they claimed to be property developers. Afterward, they offered her the trip to Mexico, but her family says she was caught in a dangerous trap.
“She’s had a good upbringing, has always worked hard, and never been in trouble before,” John added.
Kim now faces charges of unlawful possession of a controlled substance and possession with intent to deliver. The volume of drugs involved could see her sentenced to 15 to 60 years behind bars, with her next court appearance set for November 13.
Her family is deeply concerned about her well-being, having already spent £28,000 on legal fees. John says Kim is petrified, unable to speak without breaking down in tears.
“She was forced into this,” he said. “And I know that as her father.”
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