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WILLIAM EASTMENT, 79, WAS INTERCEPTED AT SANTIAGO AIRPORT AFTER ALLEGEDLY BEING FOUND WITH MORE THAN 5KG OF METHAMPHETAMINE, WORTH £200,000, HIDDEN IN HIS SUITCASE 20:26, 03 Jun 2025 The

elderly British pensioner accused of smuggling over 5kg of narcotics into Chile was in dire need of money after being duped out of his life savings, according to his sister. Bowls enthusiast

William "Billy Boy" Eastment was apprehended at Santiago Airport with £200,000 worth of methamphetamine upon landing from a flight originating in Cancun, Mexico, on May 18. The

79-year-old now faces the grim prospect of spending his twilight years behind bars if convicted. However, beneath the alleged offence lies a chilling tale that left the retired heavy goods

and bus fitter strapped for cash after falling prey to Nigerian fraudsters. His younger sister, Jennifer, 78, was unaware her brother had been arrested when the Mirror approached her at her

home in Llantarnam, near Cwmbran, in South Wales. After being informed Eastment had told police in Chile he'd been told he would receive $5 million (£3.7 million) for taking the

suitcase and was unaware it contained drugs, she said: "That's him to T. He is just so gullible. She added: "If someone gave him a story like that about needing something

delivered and he would get paid for it, he wouldn't think about drugs or anything like that. You would not believe that someone so intelligent and top of the class growing up could be

so stupid and have so little common sense." Article continues below Jennifer then told how her brother, from Milborne Port, Dorset, had been duped out of his money. She said:

"I'm always on the alert for con men, especially at my age. You read and hear so much about older people and financial scams. "But that is exactly what happened to Billy. He

was scammed himself about four years ago and lost £20,000 to a Nigerian fraudster. This woman called Jennifer, the same name as me, had messaged to say she was in trouble after being

arrested in Istanbul and needed money for a lawyer. "I don't know whether he thought it was me. He could have checked, but instead, he sold his car, gathered all the money he

could, and sent it to her. Funnily enough, he never heard from her again. "He told police in Yeovil, and they investigated and spoke to me too, and said he had been conned. He was left

in all sorts of financial difficulties, and I had to lend him a couple of hundred here and there, and I can't afford it." Eastment's sister then told how her brother had

recently spent time in Brazil, where officials from the South American country are now helping investigators in Chile build their case. Analysis of Eastment's phone has shown he was in

touch with people in Brazil while abroad. "I have no idea what he was doing in Mexico," Jennifer said. 'It did cross my mind a couple of years back when he went off to Brazil

with a mate. He said the friend whom he knew from way back, growing up in Blackwood, was working on a job out there. "I thought maybe that was to do with drugs. Billy went with him and

hated it. I don't know where he was, but he was stuck in the hotel because he said it was too dangerous to go out." Her brother was once in court accused of assaulting his now

ex-partner. Jennifer added: "I know he has a fierce temper and can blow up over nothing, but he soon calms down again. He's not a bad person, though. "He loves his bowls and

his fishing, and for a long time had had a caravan at Brean, where he met an ex-partner and moved to Somerset to be with her. He's estranged from many of his family members who took

sides after he divorced his wife over 20 years ago." A judge has ruled that Eastment can be held for up to 120 days while prosecutors gather evidence and consider formal charges. If

convicted, he could face up to 15 years in prison, though legal experts say a five-year sentence is more likely if he cooperates through a plea deal. Authorities discovered the drugs hidden

in a false bottom of Eastment's suitcase, which customs officials said was packed to capacity. The bag had been flagged by an X-ray scanner and a special detection system that triggered

lights as Eastment passed through customs. Based on messages found on his phone, investigators believe Eastment was receiving instructions from contacts in Brazil and the US. International

cooperation is underway with British and US law enforcement agencies. Article continues below _FOR THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS AND STORIES FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE FROM THE DAILY STAR, SIGN UP FOR

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