Two British women caught with $US1.5 million ($A1.66 million) worth of cocaine in Peru say they had loaded guns held to their heads and were told to smuggle the drugs or die.

Melissa Reid, 19, from Scotland and Michaella McCollum Connolly, 20, from Northern Ireland claim they were forced into trafficking by a Cockney criminal, who plucked them from the streets of Ibiza and had a dossier on their families.

The pair, who are being held at the maximum security Dirandro Police Station in the Peruvian capital say they feared they would be killed if they failed to carry out the demands.

In an interview with the Daily Mirror from the police holding centre in Lima, Reid told how the gang threatened their families and added that the pair had never even met before being sent to Peru by gangsters.

“We were given no option. If we didn’t do as we were told we would be dead. We were not smuggling for money, we were smuggling for our lives.

“We have no doubt they would have killed us both without hesitation if we didn’t do as we were told.

“We both had loaded guns put to our heads. They were more than prepared to use them. If we didn’t do it we were told we would die.”

The women told the paper they were robbed of their passports and mobile phones and followed by members of a violent drugs cartel on board the flights from Spain to Peru.

Once in South America they were ordered to carry the cocaine hidden inside food packets.

Reid said the men had information on their families, who would be threatened if they failed to comply.

They said the first time they met was after being kidnapped and taken to the cartel’s safe house in Majorca.

The women are due to appear at a preliminary court hearing in Lima, but have yet to be formally questioned by Peruvian police.

Police Inspector Jiblal Chudali said the drug smugglers were held from Saugat Hotel at Pulchowk in Narayanghat.

Those arrested are Sumil Khatun of Bara, and Shiva Shankar Das and Shila Das of Birgunj. Other are arrested are Sekh Majai and Sumina Khatun of India.

Police said that they were smuggling the drug to Birgunj by binding into their bodies. Police have started investigations after keeping all arrested in custody.

According to the District Police Office, Makawanpur, the hashish was confiscated from the truck (Na 2 Kha 2537) in a regular check.

The hashish was hidden inside the truck heading towards Hetauda from Palung in the district. Driver Krishna Bahadur Lama, 34, of Agra VDC-4, in Makawanpur is under police custody.

KATHMANDU: Three Nepali women, who were arrested with a huge quantity of hashish, have been remanded into custody in India. Tulasi Basnet, 35, Devisara Basnet, 26, and Lalsara Basnet, 30, of Naubasta-7 in Banke district, have been remanded into custody at Baharaich district of Uttar Pradesh state of India.

They were arrested with 4 kgs and 10 grams of hashish while they were going to Rupaidiha, an Indian bordering town, from Nepalgunj, according to Indian police. RSS