Colombian police have released new photographs of Australian woman Cassandra Sainsbury wearing handcuffs and standing in front of what authorities allege are 18 packages of cocaine wrapped in black plastic.
The images of the 22-year-old Adelaide woman were taken by police shortly after she was arrested for alleged drug trafficking at El Dorado International Airport, in Colombia's capital Bogota, on April 11.
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Colombian police release new pictures of 22-year-old Adelaide woman Cassandra Sainsbury, who is in a Colombian prison on drug charges. Vision: Seven News
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New police photos of Cassandra Sainsbury
Colombian police release new pictures of 22-year-old Adelaide woman Cassandra Sainsbury, who is in a Colombian prison on drug charges. Vision: Seven News
According to Colombian police, an X-ray machine at the airport detected 5.8 kilograms of cocaine hidden in Ms Sainsbury's luggage as she prepared to board a flight to London, on her way back to Australia.
Ms Sainsbury, from Moana in Adelaide's south, is now facing up to 25 years in jail in Colombia for a crime her family alleges "she did not commit".
The cocaine was allegedly hidden inside 15 pairs of headphones Ms Sainsbury had bought before her departure, and which she planned to give as gifts to people in her bridal party and to friends, her family says.
She did not open the headphone packages, and had no idea the cocaine was hidden inside, Ms Sainsbury's sister Khala said.
"She put them straight in her suitcase," Khala said.
In the new photographs, which Colombian police released early on Tuesday morning, Ms Sainsbury is grim-faced as she is handcuffed and stands in front of a table covered in the alleged drugs.
Colombia police released this photo of Cassandra Sainsbury with the alleged drugs. Photo: AP
Police also released images of Ms Sainsbury standing beside a green suitcase, along with images of Daiku-branded headphones. The same brand of headphones can be purchased for about $20 each online.
Lieutenant Colonel Jorge Triana, the head of the antinarcotics police at the airport, told Colombia's W Radio station that Ms Sainsbury's claim that she was deceived was probably untrue, and in any case it did not excuse her actions.
"Everyone who is caught says exactly the same thing," he said. He claimed many foreigners were lured by promises of fast fortunes. "But they know what they're doing," he said.
Ms Sainsbury's family in Adelaide this week started an online campaign to raise $15,000 for Ms Sainsbury's legal fees, but soon faced a backlash from many who doubted her story and questioned why they should contribute.
Cassandra Sainsbury. Photo: Facebook
Ms Sainsbury's fiance, Scotty Broadbridge, defended her on the fundraising page, which had raised just over $4000 by Tuesday morning.
"Unfortunately it's very easy for tourists to get targeted, especially in Colombia. If you don't know Cassie, and the respectful, loving, caring person that she is, don't be so negative," Mr Broadbridge wrote.
"If this happened to your family is this how you'd want people responding to your situation. Just be respectful, we're trying to get an innocent girl back home where she belongs."
He said his fiancee had been working as a manager for a cleaning business in Australia. She no longer worked as a personal trainer, as had been previously reported, he said.
Mr Broadbridge's comments appear to have since been deleted from the fundraising page.
The page claims Ms Sainsbury "would never do anything like what she has been accused off [sic]. Anyone that knows her, would say she is a kind, loving, happy kind of girl. She would help anyone out in need, Cassie is also a volunteer for the CFS [Country Fire Service]."
The Country Fire Service, however, said Ms Sainsbury had not been a volunteer since she served for a brigade on the Yorke Peninsula three years ago.
Khala said in the days prior to her flight home, her sister "was with somebody she had met that could speak English and she was sightseeing".
"He was showing her around," Khala said.
She saw some headphones she was going to buy for gifts, and, according to Khala, he told her he knew a man that could get them cheaper.
"She did that and got them handed to her Wednesday morning before she left. She just put them straight into her suitcase," Khala said.
Cassandra Sainsbury was photographed beside her luggage. Photo: Colombian National Police