The Irish embassy in Mexico will be the main point of contact for a young Irish woman held by in Peru by police on suspicion of drug trafficking.
Michaella McCollum Connolly (20), from Belfast, was arrested on Tuesday at Jorge Chávez International Airport in the Peruvian capital, Lima.
She and a Scottish national, Melissa Reid (19), were trying to board a flight to Madrid in Spain, which was travelling on to Palma Mallorca.
Peruvian police said the two were being questioned following the discovery of more than 11.5kg of cocaine – estimated to be worth about €1.7 million – in their luggage.
Together with the consular team in Dublin, the Irish embassy in Mexico will provide support and diplomatic assistance to Ms McCollum Connolly and her family.
A spokeswoman from the Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed that officials from the embassy had been in contact with the photography student.
She said staff of the British embassy in Peru had also been to visit her and would be providing assistance, particularly “on the ground”, as Ireland doesn’t have an embassy in the country.
The most recent honorary consul for Ireland, Michael Russell, finished his term at the end of July.
He said if the two girls were charged for carrying half of the cocaine each and found guilty they would face a sentence of about seven years. The pair were likely to get parole after doing about a third of their term and would have to finish their sentence in their home countries, if at all.
“However, if they are charged with 11 kilos as a conspiracy then they could be looking anywhere from 15 to 25 and you have serve at least half and sometimes full sentence,” he said in an interview with RTÉ’s Radio One.
Under Peruvian law, the women can be held for up to 15 days without charge.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said it could not comment on the specific circumstances because it was providing diplomatic assistance.
However, in similar situations it would be general practice for the department to supply Irish citizens with a list of local lawyers and translators. It would then be up to the individual to select and contract the professional help.
Mr Russell said what translators declare is “very important” regarding sentencing and that those appointed by the Peruvian state are “not normally the best”.
He said if they could not get a lawyer the State would appoint one, adding that conditions in the country’s jails were “pretty horrible”.
Over the past two weeks Ms McCollum Connolly has been the focus of a social media appeal, backed by Irish sports stars, seeking information about her whereabouts.
She had gone to San Antonio in Ibiza in June on a working holiday seeking employment as a dancer or nightclub hostess.
Her family said she usually phoned home every two to three days and they became concerned when they couldn’t contact her for 12 days.
Ms Reid’s father, William, told the Sunday Mail it was “too early” to say whether her family would travel to Peru.
“We’re in the position where we are just trying to come to terms with it,” he said.
In situations where Ireland doesn’t have an embassy it would be common practice for the office of another European nation to assist.
The Department of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman said the British embassy would have a lot of expertise in assisting people in Peru.