A glamorous Italian air stewardess has been arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking in Saudi Arabia, where the penalty for drug smugglers can be death.
The parents of Ilaria De Rosa, 23, from the small town of Resana in the Province of Treviso, northern Italy, said they are desperately worried about the potential consequences given the harsh sentences for drug offences in the Middle Eastern country.
They only found out what had happened after reaching out to local police after not having heard from her for several days after she landed at King Abdulaziz International Airport at the Red Sea resort of Jeddah, earlier this month.
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Ilaria – a flight attendant at Lithuanian airline Avion Express – usually stayed in touch with her parents wherever she went.
Italian media reports that she has been detained in connection with an alleged case of drug trafficking.
Anyone caught trying to smuggle drugs into Saudi Arabia faces drastic punishment regardless of the quantity.
Ilaria's parents said they had been unable to reach her on May 6, and her phone was turned off the following day.
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A day after that Ilaria’s mum and dad filed a missing persons report with police in the town of Castelfranco Veneto.
According to Italian media reports, Ilaria’s parents had initially feared that their daughter could have been kidnapped.
Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation is reportedly negotiating with the Saudi authorities.
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A ministry source is quoted as saying: "We are in contact with the local authorities to clarify this situation which we hope to resolve as soon as possible."
The state prosecution in the Italian capital Rome – which is dealing with cases of Italian citizens arrested abroad – is in constant contact with the Saudi Arabian prosecutor.
Italian media claim that the stewardess – who has no criminal record – is accused of international drug trafficking.
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She had been staying at the Spectrums Residence, a large hotel complex in Jeddah until her return flight shift was due.
Ilaria regularly shared fantastic snaps of the hotel and other dream destinations all over the world with her 2,200 Instagram followers.
Italian media say that video footage from a CCTV camera outside the hotel shows Ilaria as she gets into a car with three Arab individuals. She apparently does so voluntarily and without any coercion. The stewardess never returned to her room.
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Rachele Scarpa is a Democratic Party MP for the Treviso region where Ilaria’s family is based.
The national assembly delegate said: "Being a case involving a fellow citizen of our area, as a parliamentarian I immediately got in touch with the Foreign Office.
She added: "Obviously, these are complex situations, where prudence and reserve are a must. What I can say is that the Consulate and the Farnesina are dealing with the case with great professionalism."
Ms Scarpa concluded: "We need to have faith in the institutions. As always, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will follow the matter with extreme attention."
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