Ten years after she was jailed for drug smuggling in the South American country, a member of the infamous 'Peru Two' has graduated from university.
Michaella McCollum was working as a part-time model and nightclub hostess in Ibiza when she made world headlines for being arrested in Peru.
McCollum was stopped in the South American nation carrying 11kg worth of cocaine out of the country alongside Glasgow-born sales assistant Melissa Reid.
As reported by the Star, the double act had concealed the class A drug inside porridge and jelly packets to help mask the smell and to hide the evidence of any suspicious behaviour.
Before boarding a long-haul flight to Madrid in Spain, they were caught at Lima Airport by customs officers and were arrested.
The girls, who together were nicknamed the 'Peru Two', claimed at the time they had been forced by an armed gang to carry the class A drugs. For the quest they were paid just £4,000 each.
Worldwide headlines - and even a Netflix documentary - followed, but Michaela has completed her turnaround by graduating from the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland with a degree in BBA in Business Management, Marketing and Related Support Services.
McCollum, who is originally from Dungannon, a town in County Tyrone, posed around the dock area of Belfast with her twin sons Rio and Rafael.
She wrote on Instagram: "10 years ago I was graduating with different lessons! So happy to have came this far."
McCollum then posted a series of stories of her and a friend enjoying an upmarket eatery AMPM Restaurant in the city.
On March 31, 2016, McCollum was released from prison after applying to be freed on parole after the initial prospect of remaining in Peru for up to six years.
Her accomplice Melissa was later released on June 21 of that year after the Peruvian authorities agreed to ‘expel’ her from the country.
They were taken to Virgen de Fatima prison in Lima, whilst in Peru, but were later transferred to Ancon 2 prison with some reports stating they were in cells with 30 other prisoners.
During their time in prison, they were both able to train in beauty therapy in an attempt to later become hairstylists on release. Late last year, docu-series High: Confessions of an Ibiza Drug Mule was released, narrated by McCollum.
She also released a book about her Peru ordeal in 2019, called You'll Never See Daylight Again – which was later turned into the BBC/Netflix series.
McCollum has seen her popularity boom, and is considered a celebrity in her native Northern Ireland. She boasts over 100k Instagram followers and is a public speaker at events.
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