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Story summary
- The United Kingdom reported arrests of British drug mules abroad more than quadrupled from 2023 to 2025.
- Arrests rose from over 80 in 2023 to more than 340 in 2025.
- Around 60% of detainees since 2024 were aged 16-30.
- Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty warned traffickers promise travel but detainees may face prison, whipping or death.
- More than 160 British nationals have been arrested overseas for drug smuggling in 2026.
