A British teenager could face years behind bars in Qatar after being accused of trafficking cannabis.
Lino Neil, 18, was detained at Hamad International Airport in Doha on November 21 during a layover on his way back to Scotland from Thailand. The young Scot, who works in fishing, says he was coerced by a gang into carrying the drugs across borders.
His family now face legal costs of up to £40,000 for a criminal trial in Doha and have already raised £2,500 to secure a lawyer ahead of Lino’s court appearance.
Lino’s family insist he was exploited. His mother, Nicola, 49, from the Scottish village of Drymen, said she hopes Qatari authorities will recognize he was forced into the situation.
“He is just a teenage boy, a baby. He has no contacts in Thailand and no way of arranging any kind of drug deal. It’s clear he’s been exploited and abused by gangsters. I just want him home,” she told the Daily Record.
Nicola revealed that Lino, who had just turned 18, was controlled by a British man.
“I don’t know how he got into this mess, but I know he was terrified. He called me a couple of weeks before his flight and said they had a hold over him. They threatened him and our family if he didn’t comply,” she added.
The mother described the harsh conditions Lino is facing in detention. “They put him in the airport jail with barely any food. He’s lost a lot of weight and is terrified. The last time I spoke to him, he was frantic and said he was thinking about taking his own life. I can’t even imagine that.”
Lino’s older brother, Robbie, 28, said the teen was initially held in a crowded cell at the airport with 80 other men before being transferred to Doha’s Central Prison. “It’s impossible to believe he arranged a drug deal himself. He’s just a wee laddie who knows more about fishing than anything else. We just need to get him home,” he said.
Lino’s court hearing is scheduled for January 27, where he will claim he was forced to smuggle cannabis.
An FCDO spokesperson told the Daily Mail: “We are supporting a British man detained in Qatar and are in contact with his family and the local authorities.”
His arrest comes amid a growing wave of young Brits accused of drug smuggling and facing lengthy sentences abroad.
