Banged up abroad (2006 - 2008)

For those of you who are not familiar with the series it was first aired on British TV back in 2006 & since then it has been aired in many other countries including Sweden/Denmark &new Zealand. Each episode is set in a different country with a different story about an individual or individuals who spent time in prisons abroad usually involving smuggling drugs or victims of kidnapping. One of the most high profile stories that are featured is that of the Sandra Gregory a British woman who was convicted for trying to smuggle heroin out of Thailand, she faced 25 years in jail but would have easily gotten the death penalty. After serving time in a Thai prison she was then transferred to a maximum security prison in the UK but was later released after getting a royal pardon from the king of Thailand - others featured were not so lucky. Each episode follows the same structure where they mix in interview footage of the person with a reconstruction of the events mentioned. Very often the prisons featured are some of the most violent & overcrowded places on earth, the conditions are extremely inhumane with little or no sanitation. While some come close to losing their sanity & some even experience moments of torture everyone featured eventually makes it back home to get their story told but a certain few finish their story in handcuffs as they are still serving time, of course after every story being told they express a deep regret for the actions that got them banged up. Its common knowledge that smuggling drugs no matter how you go about it is illegal in every country & in most cases the people doing it get caught, its also so true that not just drug cartels do it but that ordinary everyday people get suckered into being mules for the cartels. In almost every case it seems that the people who opt to be mules put opportunity before common sense & it always ends in a the worst way possible, a harsh lesson for all involved & a tough reality check for anyone that’s ever been tempted of trying the deadly business of smuggling makes this a must see series. The easiest way to watch each episode is through you tube using a simple search of the title.

Some of the countries featured include Mexico, Venezuela, Thailand, Peru, Australia, Nepal, Columbia, Pakistan, & Bangladesh.