A member of the notorious "Peru Two" who was jailed for drug smuggling in South America has turned her life around and graduated from university.
Michaella McCollum looked unrecognisable smiling in her graduation gown in comparison to the mugshot photos taken a decade ago as she was thrown into a Peruvian jail. Michaella, who worked as a part-time model and nightclub hostess in Ibiza, had tried to leave Peru bound for the island with 11kg of cocaine in her luggage.
She was accompanied by Glasgow-born sales assistant Melissa Reid. It later emerged that they hid the narcotics inside packages of porridge and jelly - which allowed them to mask the smell and keep them hidden.
But their attempts to go unnoticed failed and they were nabbed at Lima Airport as they boarded a flight to Madrid.
After their arrest, they were nicknamed the Peru two. In their defence, they claimed that an armed gang had forced them to carry the drugs but were also paid £4,000 each.
Worldwide headlines and even a Netflix documentary followed, but Michaela has completed her turnaround by graduating from the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland with a degree in BBA in Business Management, Marketing and Related Support Services, reports the Daily Star.
McCollum, originally from Dungannon, a town in County Tyrone, posed around the dock area of Belfast with her twin sons Rio and Rafael.
She wrote on Instagram: "10 years ago I was graduating with different lessons! So happy to have came this far."
McCollum then posted a series of stories of her and a friend enjoying upmarket eatery AMPM Restaurant in the city.
Michaella was released from prison on 31 March, 2016 after applying to be freed on parole after the initial prospect in remaining in Peru for up to six years.
Her accomplice Melissa was later released on 21 June of that year after the Peruvian authorities agreed to ‘expel’ her from the country.
Whilst in Peru, they were taken to Virgen de Fatima prison in Lima but were later transferred to Ancon 2 prison with some reports stating they were in cells with 30 other prisoners.
During their time in prison, they were both able to train in beauty therapy in an attempt to later become hairstylists on release.
Late last year, docu-series High: Confessions of an Ibiza Drug Mule was released, narrated by McCollum.
She also released a book about her Peru ordeal in 2019, called You'll Never See Daylight Again – which was later turned into the BBC/Netflix series.
McCollum has seen her popularity boom, and is considered a celebrity in her native Northern Ireland. She boasts over 100k Instagram followers and is a public speaker at events.
