‘Cocaine in shoes’: Jamaica drug case involving two British women explained
More than five pounds of cocaine were reportedly concealed in footwear at Montego Bay's airport, sparking debate, beef and a UK crowdfund campaign
Two young British women are reported to have been found guilty in Jamaica following their arrest at an airport over drug smuggling.
News of this has prompted debate online and across Caribbean diaspora networks.
Local media reports state that more than five pounds of cocaine were allegedly discovered concealed inside footwear in the luggage of Teraiya Stapleton and Genevieve Sanoussi, who were both 21 and attending university at the time.
In a video posted online earlier this week, Teraiya’s mother said her daughter has been wrongfully convicted and the family is raising £20,000 to bring a British barrister to Jamaica to review the case.
This 8-minute clip has attracted significant attention, with many supporters expressing sympathy while others have questioned aspects of the account.
Cutting through the speculation, here is what we know.
The arrest
According to reporting at the time, the two women were stopped at Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay on 20 October 2024 as they were preparing to depart for a flight to the United Kingdom.
The court heard that several plastic packages containing cocaine were allegedly discovered hidden inside footwear in their luggage.
Two pounds and 1.58 ounces were reportedly found inside a pair of shoes in Teraiya’s suitcase, while 3.5 pounds were allegedly found inside six pairs of slippers in Genevieve’s luggage.
Both women denied knowledge that the shoes contained drugs, but were remanded in custody. They were later granted bail of J$500,000 in the St James Parish Court around November 2024, with reporting conditions.
The conditions were reportedly that they reside in St Elizabeth, report to the police three times weekly and return to court on December 18.
Under caution, one of the accused reportedly said in response to the arrest: “What? I feel like screaming! Tony gave them to me.”
27 foreign nationals were arrested in Jamaica between January and September 2024 for breaches of the Dangerous Drugs Act, according to reporting at the time.
Airport searches and drug courier cases
In a video posted on TikTok, Teraiya’s mother, who is thought to be named Sheryl Gentles, suggested the women were pulled aside before joining the main airport queue for check-in.
She said she found this suspicious and implied they may have been used as a decoy while a larger operation was underway.
Frequent travellers to Jamaica will be aware that secondary screening and targeted searches are routine at Sangster International Airport as part of ongoing anti-narcotics enforcement.
Drug courier cases involving young travellers are not new.
For decades, Caribbean jurisdictions have dealt with organised networks recruiting individuals, including young women, to transport narcotics overseas.
Courts across the region have heard cases involving both knowing participation and claims of deception or coercion.
Teraiya’s mother also said both young women were unaware of the contents of the shoes and were carrying the items for someone else.
The prosecution
The young women are reported to have been found guilty and face imprisonment under Jamaica’s drug laws.
According to Teraiya’s mother, sentencing is due to take place in March.
A conviction in Jamaica requires the prosecution to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt. Full details of the trial proceedings have not yet been publicly published.
The family’s position
In the aforementioned online video, Teraiya’s mother said her daughter travelled with Genevieve, her friend of over eight years, and believed she was carrying shoes back to the United Kingdom.
She said the items concealed illegal contents without Teraiya’s knowledge or intent.
Teraiya became pregnant while on bail in Jamaica and has since given birth there. Her mother described the past 16 months as an extremely difficult period.
“It has been so much heartache,” she said. “I cannot sit back and allow my daughter to go to jail for something she’s not done.”
The family say the funds are intended to secure a British barrister to review the evidence and assess whether Teraiya received fair legal representation during proceedings.
They argue she did not receive adequate legal representation during the trial and believe the case was not properly advanced on her behalf.
Genevieve’s family has not publicly commented on the case. However, she has posted on her own social media platforms this week, maintaining her innocence.
Consular support and legal representation
A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) told Black Current News: “We are providing support to two British nationals in Jamaica and are in contact with the local authorities.”
The FCDO states that while it can monitor cases and raise concerns, the British embassy cannot interfere with the local justice system.
British barristers do not have an automatic right to practise in Jamaican courts unless they are admitted to the Jamaican Bar or granted a specific exception by the General Legal Council. A number of practitioners are dually qualified in both jurisdictions.
Foreign counsel may apply for special admission in certain circumstances, but this requires formal approval and typically works alongside local counsel.
When approached about this case, legal experts told Black Current News that any appeal would need to proceed within Jamaica’s established legal framework.
They added that once a conviction has been entered, the legal focus generally shifts to identifying grounds of appeal, such as procedural irregularity, misdirection in law or evidential insufficiency.
Jamaica has an established and independent legal profession. Suggestions that adequate representation cannot be sourced locally are contested.
The nation operates a "fused" legal profession, meaning there is no strict distinction between barristers and solicitors as in the UK; all are licensed as "Attorneys-at-Law" and can perform both acting and instructing roles.
In April 2016, the Jamaica Gleaner reported that 1,874 attorneys were licensed to practise privately in Jamaica, citing figures published by the General Legal Council.
Comparable cases
Drug prosecutions involving foreign nationals are not uncommon in Jamaica.
The allegations in this case come amid several recent airport arrests involving British nationals, including a December 2025 matter in which a 41-year-old woman named Charlene Cave denied knowledge of cocaine allegedly concealed in slippers and food items in her luggage.
She appeared in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Tuesday.
Also in December 2025, two British nationals, Shelby Byng and Nenisha Nelson-Roberts, were reportedly freed of drug trafficking charges after being arrested in August 2024 when cocaine, concealed in packages disguised as porridge mixes and coffee, was found in their luggage.
Their attorneys challenged the prosecution’s evidence.
In a separate case in September 2024, a British man, Glenn McIrvine Mason, was reportedly taken into custody after officials allegedly discovered approximately 1.5 pounds of a substance resembling cocaine concealed in slippers with false compartments in his suitcase.
He pleaded guilty to charges of possession of, dealing in and attempting to export cocaine.
These cases illustrate that outcomes can differ depending on the strength of the evidence presented and the arguments advanced before the court.
What happens next?
According to Teraiya’s mother, both women are due back before the court in March for sentencing.
Following sentencing, the usual legal route would be to pursue an appeal which is determined by the Court of Appeal.
At the time of publication, £2,773 had been raised towards the £20,000 crowdfunding target launched by Teraiya’s mother.
A Change.org petition calling for intervention by the FCDO and Jamaican authorities had secured more than 1,000 verified signatures at the time of publication
Black Current News has approached Teraiya’s family for comment.
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Narrr...the daughter was mixing in bad circles, so this was always going to happen. She was set up. Feel so for the mother, but it's the result of bad decision-making all round.