MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina says dead British tourist was part of “drug ring”

Laura Michelle Hill

Argentina's Justice, Security and Human Rights Minister Aníbal Fernández said on Monday the young English tourist found dead in Buenos Aires ten months ago “was part of a drug ring,” and that she had been arrested by the federal police while probing the gang's activities.

The body of the tourist, Laura Michelle Hill, 25, was found in a hotel located in downtown Buenos Aires on October first last year. The autopsy determined the cause of death as a cocaine overdose. Questions were recently asked on the floor of the House of Commons by her family's MP about both how she had lost her life and the degree of support offered to her family by the British Embassy. Speaking on Radio 10 Minister Fernández denied claims Hill might have been forced to take cocaine and that the truth was "a bit different". He continued to explain the background of the case. "Nineteen days prior (to the discovery of Ms Hill's body), between September 11 and 12, as a result of a longstanding investigation by the Federal Police's Drug Enforcement Agency, a number of searches were carried out, resulting in the seizure of 18,500 ecstasy tablets, 4,800 kilos of cocaine, large sums of money and a number of guns. A number of arrests were made, among them Hill and a Korean man". Minister Fernandez revealed that "the investigation involved phone taps of conversations between Ms Hill and the Korean man. They were recorded talking about her working as a drug "mule," to transport drugs to Europe. However, the conversations came to nothing as they (Ms Hill and the Korean man) couldn't agree on a method for concealing the drug stash". Fernández said that, after being arrested, Ms Hill was released because of insufficient evidence. In an interview published in July in her local newspaper Eastbourne Today, Allison Hill, the mother of the deceased tourist, said her daughter's death and subsequent events had become "a living hell" for the rest of the family. "I believe the Argentine authorities have covered things up and the Foreign Office did not push for more answers. We put our faith in the Foreign Office and they let us down". In a weekend piece published in the Daily Mail Laura's parents reveal she called the family from Buenos Aires on August 30, 2007, because it was her father's birthday. "She sang Happy Birthday to me down the phone", said Mr. Hill. "She was happy - fine. I asked her when she was coming back and she said soon. That's the last time I heard her voice". But Police called at the Hills' home on October 2 last year. The couple was shocked and heartbroken to hear that the 'free spirit' among their four children had been found dead - in the tawdriest surroundings, slumped on a park bench. "We were shattered. We hadn't heard from Laura for a couple of weeks and both of us had a very bad feeling the day before the police came to our door", said Alison Hill. But, according to the Daily Mail piece the bad feeling refused to go away in the months following Laura's death. First, the Hills were solemnly told that their daughter had died of "natural causes". Then, three months later, they obtained a copy of medical reports which revealed that doctors now believe she had ingested a lethal dose of cocaine - so big, police say, that it would kill a grown man instantly, let alone a young woman. Now, crucially, they have also discovered documents that flatly contradict the official version of events. Far from not being physically harmed, Laura had significant bruising on her arms and inner thighs. She also had a cut on her top lip. Nor had she drunk any alcohol for the last 72 hours, contradicting police claims that she was virtually permanently drunk. In another medical report, she also appears to show signs of a sexual assault. In addition, the report states that Laura's face was heavily bruised, as if someone had gripped it to force open her mouth - and then force cocaine down her throat. The case was taken up by Nigel Waterson, the couple's MP. "There is prima facie evidence that Laura did not die of natural causes. We must have a full and proper investigation into these reports showing that this woman had heavy bruising and showed signs of sexual assault", he said. And according to the Daily Mail, decadent Buenos Aires is good for partying, cheap and "there are also drugs - lots of them. Costing a tenth of the price of illicit substances in Europe, the streets are flooded with cheap cocaine from Bolivia and Colombia, meaning even the most hard-up of backpackers can afford to indulge". Nightclubs in the city are "well-known for drug-taking and dealing". Laura's last days were spent at the flat of an unidentified Colombian in the San Telmo district of the city - an area full of colonial buildings and hostels, which is popular with young British tourists. While the Argentine police claim the British girl was "dirty" and disheveled, and spent much of her time with a group of "nomads" who wandered the city, shopkeepers and neighbours say she was no such thing. Nor do they corroborate the story that she was drinking heavily. Apparently the Hills have not spoken publicly before because they wanted to amass as much evidence as possible about the statements over Laura's death. "We are not naïve", says Alison Hill. "We know that, in this day and age, drugs among young people are as common as drink. But we also know our daughter. She was not the addictive type -she wasn't even bothered if she ran out of cigarettes. Something has happened to our daughter and we want to know what the truth is". Kevin Hill adds: "I believe she was murdered. I think the bruises on her face happened when her head was held back and she was forced to take a massive dose of cocaine. Of course, we have wondered if she had become caught up in something, but it's more likely she was killed for refusing to do something illegal. She was a very principled young lady". They are also furious that Laura's organs were removed from her body, preventing further forensic tests, despite the insistence of the Foreign Office and the family that this should not happen.