A UK Border Force officials stopped a British mother returning from a life-saving brain surgery in Spain, accusing her and her husband of international drug smuggling.
Photographs show Rachel Pighills, 36, in tears and connected to an oxygen tank on a stretcher inside a warehouse at the docks in Plymouth. She had to wait for four hours while border agents thoroughly searched their vehicle.
They had traveled by ferry on June 17 in a small second-hand ambulance driven by her husband, Guy, 41. He claimed that agents extensively searched their vehicle in their failed attempt to find drugs.
Their suitcases and belongings were laid out on the ground of the docks during the search, and Guy said they were treated like criminals. The officials even used sniffer dogs, which failed to detect the powerful opiates Rachel had been given for her post-op pain.
Four weeks prior to the incident, Rachel had undergone a pioneering surgery to address the consequences of a head injury sustained in August 2018, which left her with serious spinal conditions. She had risked being ‘internally decapitated’ because her brain was sinking into her spine, preventing her from turning her head without risking paralysis or death.
Rachel and Guy had spent nearly four years raising £215,000 for the groundbreaking surgery. After the 13-and-a-half-hour surgery in Barcelona on May 20, which involved inserting metal rods into her spine and repositioning her skull and brain stem, the couple drove back to the UK on June 17.
However, upon their arrival in Plymouth, they were accused of drug smuggling by Border Force officials after their overnight ferry from Santander. Rachel expressed disbelief at the accusations, stating that they had all the necessary documentation, yet the officials were rude and unyielding.
Despite the invasive search, neither the sniffer dog nor the officials found the bag of opiates and painkillers she had obtained from the clinic. The ordeal was distressing for Rachel, who was already in a delicate state due to her recent surgery.
Guy spoke about the traumatic experience, expressing their disappointment at being treated like criminals and the impact it had on Rachel’s recovery. They were eventually vindicated when the officials saw the extent of Rachel’s surgery, but they did not receive an apology for the distress caused.
The surgery, performed by neurosurgeon Dr. Vicenc Gilete at Teknon Hospital in Barcelona, requires a minimum recovery time of 12 months. Rachel will undergo daily physiotherapy as part of her rehabilitation, with the goal of regaining her strength and mobility.
