Tourist jailed for iced tea 'smuggling'

A Filipino tourist was imprisoned for five days on charges of drug smuggling after carrying lemon-flavoured iced tea into Australia.

Maria Cecilia Silva, 29, has been cleared of wrongdoing after the mix-up over 800g of the Nestlé product in sealed packets she had previously purchased in a Philippines supermarket, AAP reports.

Silva's barrister Michael Penna-Rees said of his client: "She's traumatised, she's lost a lot of weight and she'll be seeing a doctor.

"She's a totally innocent young lady who has experienced five days in an horrendous situation having her liberty taken away and placed in cells with some serious offenders."

The incident occurred when a drug detection dog reacted to the iced tea containers and further testing of the packet gave a positive result for amphetamines. The prosecution later withdrew its charges.

At Melbourne Magistrates Court, magistrate Jack Vandersteen ordered the government's director of public prosecution to pay Silva AU$5,000 (£3,035) in court costs, while Silva may seek further compensation for her wrongful imprisonment.