Deaf Woman Arrested in Drug Scam

0:00A 59-year-old woman from Surrey, British Columbia, named Spring Parks, is locked up in South Korea on drugs muggling charges after nearly four kilograms of methamphetamine turned up in her suitcase. Her family insists she got duped by a romance scammer online and had zero clues she was carrying drugs. She flew out of Canada at the end of January to meet this guy she'd been chatting with, stopping in South Africa first to grab what she thought was. Just luggage, before heading to South Korea, border agents nabbed her right there, and now she's facing harsh penalties under their narcotics laws, like life in prison with hard labor even, though they haven't executed anyone since 1998. Her daughter, Lorraine, only found out about the trip when Spring sent a desperate text on February 1st, admitting she thought she was in love, but got, played. Being deaf and relying mainly on American sign language, plus not speaking Korean, makes her situation even tougher in a foreign jail.

1:00Lawyers hired by the family believe she's truly innocent, pointing to messages from a fake profile linked to Nigeria, part of a scam mimicking A. Canadian actor. They've set up a go-fun meet to cover legal fees, interpreters, and rebuilding her life back home after selling her stuff to pay bills. South Korean officials remain doubtful about the scam story, with that much methamvolved, but Canadian consular folks are stepping in with support. The family's holding on to hope through relayed messages, fighting to bring her back before this nightmare drags on forever. That wraps Vancouver news today. Brought to you with AI.