Foreign Office steps up Egypt drugs warning to UK holidaymakers

Laura Plummer is still in custody after her arrest with a significant quantity of strong painkillers

The Foreign Office has updated its guidelines on taking medicine abroad, following Laura Plummer's arrest (Rex)

As a British woman awaits a court hearing in Egypt after arriving with hundreds of painkillers in her luggage, the Foreign Office has issued a new warning to travellers about medicines.

Laura Plummer, 33, from Hull had flown to the Egyptian resort of Hurghada to visit her husband, who suffers from back pain. Her family says that a colleague who had 290 Tramadol tablets she no longer needed gave them to Ms Plummer so that she could take them to her husband.

Ms Plummer was arrested on 8 October when the medicine was found in her suitcase by customs officials at Hurghada airport. She has been in custody since then.

As a result of her case, the Foreign Office has updated its travel advice to remind holidaymakers to Egypt: “If you’re travelling with prescription medication you should carry a medical certificate confirming that the medication has been prescribed for a medical condition.”

The Egyptian Consulate in London stipulates: “An official letter from your GP is required, specifying that the medication you are taking to Egypt is for your personal use only, the quantity you will be carrying and details of your condition.”

The NHS says: “Tramadol is a strong painkiller. It’s used to treat moderate to severe pain, for example after an operation or a serious injury.

“It’s also used to treat long-standing pain when weaker painkillers no longer work.

"Tramadol is addictive. If you need to take it for a long time your body can become tolerant to it. That means you need higher doses to control your pain. But in reality, if you're taking Tramadol to relieve pain (rather than using it as a recreational drug) it's very unlikely you will get addicted to it

The drug is available only on prescription in the UK, and it is not clear how Ms Plummer’s colleague came to be in possession of such a large quantity.

Some other painkillers that are available over the counter in the UK are illegal abroad, especially those containing codeine.

Ms Plummer is due in court on Thursday 9 November for a further hearing. Her family say that she signed a 38-page statement in Arabic, believing she would be freed, but instead she was incarcerated.

Her sister, Jayne Plummer, told ITV’s This Morning: “She’s so sorry. We are sitting at home and crying. We need to let other people know.”

In theory Laura Plummer could face many years in prison for drug trafficking, but British travellers in similar circumstances are often released much earlier.