UK warns citizens on using drugs in foreign countries

LONDON: With official figures showing that over 1,000 British citizens are languishing in foreign prisons on drug offences, the country has asked its nationals in India and other countries abroad to be "sensible" and "keep clean".

New data released by the Foreign Office has revealed that 1,057 of the 2,582 British nationals detained overseas at the end of September 2009 were held on drugs charges.

In Asia, 50 per cent of the British national detentions were for drugs with the highest figures occurring in Thailand and Japan.

Releasing the figures, Foreign Office minister Chris Bryant said: "Britons should know the risks of taking drugs abroad -- and they should also be extremely wary of being sucked into the drugs trade".

He added: "The message is clear -- we can't get people out of jail in other countries, so if you don't want to waste your life away in a tough foreign jail, be sensible and keep clean.

"In South America, 99 per cent of the British nationals detained by local authorities were held for drug crimes, with Brazil and Peru showing the highest figures in this continent.

Spain detained the highest actual number of British nationals for drugs offences (207), followed by USA (141) and Thailand (79).

With regard to overall detentions, the US detained the highest number of British nationals (669), followed by Spain (357) and Australia (271).

Foreign Office research showed that British nationals often have unrealistic expectations of what the office can do for them if they are arrested overseas.

Just over half of consular time is spent supporting British nationals arrested and detained overseas.