Banged Up Abroad

Infobox Television
show_name = Banged up Abroad


caption =
format = Documentary series
picture_format =
runtime = 60 minutes (including commercials)
creator =
starring =
channel = Five
first_aired = March 2006
last_aired = present
num_series =
num_episodes =
country = UK
producer = Raw TV
related =
imdb_id =

Banged Up Abroad is a British documentary series made for Channel Five which was first broadcast in 2006. It features stories of people who have been arrested while travelling abroad, usually for trying to smuggle illegal drugs out of a particular country and have received lengthy prison sentences as a result. Among the stories to have been told is that of British woman Sandra Gregory, who spent several years in a Thai jail after being convicted of trying to smuggle heroin out of Thailand.

Episode structure

The episodes typically follow the same structure. An episode contains a mix of original interview footage and reconstructed footage of their journey. The convicted are shown talking about their experience (the interviewer is never heard or seen), on a close-up shot of their face and shoulders, and as they speak, detailed, reconstructed footage is shown with actors that resemble the convicted.

Introduction

An episode begins with an introduction of the people (typically two friends) who made the trip and got convicted. Often, they're living a normal or sometimes boring life in their town, some are even in financial straits. They suddenly get contacted at a nightclub or pub by a stranger. The stranger asks them a few questions about their life and general business, and quickly gets them in contact with another person, who asks them if they're prepared to perform a trip for him, smuggling home drugs from another country.

The promises

The convicted are promised a completely paid vacation, on a fancy hotel, with pocket money and promises of a care-free holiday in a tropical paradise, where all they have to do is smuggle home a relatively small amount of drugs that will be handed to them the day before their journey home. In some cases, the promises of a luxurious holiday is true, in other cases, the hotel is not as great as promised, and the surrounding area not as wonderful as promised.

The convicted are promised that it'll be absolutely no problem getting the drugs through the airport. In one case, they're told that the entire airport security crew has been bribed and that it's all setup for them.

Arrival and holiday

The convicted usually get contacted a day or two after they've landed and arrived at the hotel, by other middle-men operating in the specific country. Often these middle-men display weapons in order to instill fear and some act aggressive. They keep an eye on the convicted and keep in contact with them during the trip.

In some cases, the convicted are living the good life, enjoy the warm weather, go clubbing and are having a relatively good time. In other cases, the convicted are frequently monitored by the middle-men, and are not allowed to do as they please. The outlook of the drug smuggle on the way home hangs as a dark cloud over their heads at all times.

Journey home

Common for all cases is that on the day of their departure, or the day before, the convicted are presented with the drugs they have to smuggle home. The amount they have to smuggle is always considerably larger than what the man in England promised. In one case, the convicted's bags were stuffed to the brim with heavy attaché briefcases, filled with cocaine. In another case, the convicted were told they were to smuggle hashish, but were forced to smuggle a large amount of cocaine instead. In a third case, the convicted had heavy jackets put on them, with cocaine sown into the garnment. The jackets were uncomfortable and obviously suspicious to anyone who touched them.

The convicted are as nervous as they have ever been in their life when arriving at the airport and going through the security checks. Furthermore, they attract attention as they are not local, and in one case, they were travelling at a time of year when no one usually went on a regular tourist trip to that particular country.

The convicted are all caught and held back at the airport before being able to board their plane. Some are taken aside before they get through the initial security check, others are held back just as they're about to enter the airplane.

Jail

The episodes focus heavily on the life in jail in the foreign country. The convicted are often thrown in jail immediately after being held back without being given a chance to talk with a lawyer, get a trial, or call anyone. They are scared and feel violated and exploited by the drug dealers. Some break down and cry, feeling their life is over at this moment. Typically they get to talk to a police officer within the country's drug investigation agency, who quickly makes them break down, confess and tell everything.

After some weeks they receive their sentence, without having had any chance to defend themselves. Their sentences range from 4 to 10 years. Some are transferred between jails.

The jails are extremely dirty, cramped and violent and are described as being hell on earth. They are put in overcrowded cells, with local inmates who are willing to kill others over a piece of clothing, or a gang feud. In some jails the prisoners run the jail, with weapons amongst inmates being abundant and killings a daily occurrence. Two convicted female friends get put in a women's jail with little to no violence, but still under inhumane conditions with regards to sanitation and privacy.

Some convicted nearly lose their sanity while being in jail. They get to contact their family in certain cases, and some even get assigned a lawyer who helps bring them food and money, and assists in defending their case in court.

The convicted are typically released before having served their full sentence, after 2-4 years.

Return home

In one case, the convicted are shown sitting with handcuffs on, at the end of the episode, as they are still in jail. In most cases though, the convicted have returned home, from where they are telling their story. They all emphasize on how much they regret their decision of attempting to smuggle drugs.

List Of Episodes

* Season 1 (2006)
:Venezuela: Donald and Denis's Story
:Mexico: Scott and Lucy's Story
:Thailand: The Sandra Gregory Story
:Australia: Mark's Story

* Season 2 (2007)
:Venezuela: James and Paul's story
:Peru: Krista and Jennifer's Story
:Nepal: Piers story
:Colombia: Glen's Story

* Season 3 (2008)
:Kuwait: Scott's story
:Peru 2: Russell's Story
:Bangladesh: Lia's Story
:Pakistan: Amardeep's story
:Peru 3: Simon And Sarah's Story Story
:Taiwan: Mc Gill's Story
:Ecuador: Daniel's story

Further information

A second series was broadcast in 2007 with a third series airing during August and September 2008.

The programme has also been shown on Sweden's Sveriges Television where it was given the name "Farlig resa" ("eng": "Dangerous journey"), and in Spring 2008 on Danish TV2 under the name "Helvede tur/retur" ("eng": "Round trip to hell"). In the United States, the show is entitled "Locked Up Abroad" and currently airs on the National Geographic Channel. The show airs on TV1 in New Zealand under its original name.

ee also

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External links

* [http://natgeotv.com.au/Programmes/Main.aspx?Id=1140 World's Hardest Prison : Banged Up Abroad]
* [http://natgeoadventuretv.com.au/Programmes/Custom/BangedUp/Intro.aspx?Id=1214 Banged Up Abroad]
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0765433/ imdb profile for 2006 series]
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1020109/ imdb profile for 2007 series]
* [http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biography_story/1932:2455/1/BANGED_UP_ABROAD_Sandra_Gregory_s_Story.htm Sandra Gregorys story]
* [http://www.crimeandinvestigation.co.uk/tv_programme/634/BANGED_UP_ABROAD_Episode_1.htm Plot summary]