British teen held in Qatar over drug trafficking claims

British Teen Accused of Cannabis Trafficking in Qatar

A British teenager faces years in a Qatari jail after being accused of trafficking cannabis into the country.

Lino Neil was detained at Hamad International Airport in Doha. He was found with a suitcase filled with cannabis while traveling home from Thailand.

Details of the Arrest

Lino Neil spent Christmas in jail after being arrested with a suitcase full of drugs. His older brother, Robbie, insists that Lino is not capable of such actions. The 18-year-old claims he was forced to carry the drugs by a gang that threatened him and his family.

After a trip abroad with his girlfriend, Lino was flying to Dublin for a handover when he was arrested. He spent Christmas “terrified” and alone in a prison cell.

Legal Costs and Family Concerns

Neil’s family is facing significant legal costs as they prepare for a criminal trial in Qatar. The costs could reach up to £40,000. They have already paid £2,500 for legal representation ahead of his court appearance.

The family insists that Lino, from the small village of Drymen, was exploited. His mother, Nicola, 49, hopes the Qatari authorities will realize her son was acting under duress.

Mother’s Statements

“He is just a teenage boy, a baby, and he has no contacts in Thailand,” Nicola said. “It’s so obvious that he has been exploited and abused by gangsters, and I just really want him home.”

Nicola added that a British man controlled Lino, telling him what to wear and eat. She said Lino was terrified and had called her weeks before his flight home, expressing fear.

Conditions in Custody

Nicola described Lino as “totally distraught” in custody and said he faced harsh conditions. “He’s had so little food to eat that he’s lost a lot of weight. He is terrified,” she said.

“When I spoke to him the other day, he was frantic and said he was going to take his own life.”

Family’s Realization and Support

Robbie, 28, was supposed to collect Lino from Cairnryan ferry terminal before Christmas. The family realized something was wrong when Lino did not arrive. Robbie later learned that Lino had been arrested and initially held in an airport prison cell with 80 other men.

Robbie echoed his mother’s claims, stating that despite Lino’s previous convictions, it was impossible for him to organize a drug deal. “He’s just a wee laddie who knows more about fishing than anything else,” he said.

Upcoming Court Appearance

Lino is due to appear in court later this month. He will attempt to convince judges that he was forced to smuggle the drugs. A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office stated, “We are supporting a British man who is detained in Qatar and are in contact with his family and local authorities.”

Similar Cases

Sadly, Neil is not the only British teenager detained on drug-related charges. In 2025, 18-year-old Bella Culley was arrested at Tbilisi Airport for allegedly entering the country with 34 bags of marijuana concealed in her luggage. She initially faced up to 20 years in prison but was released after her family paid £137,000.

Neil now awaits a court hearing at the end of January to discover his fate.