Briton 'held for days in Canadian cell after friend's ashes are mistaken for ketamine'

Traveller: Russell Laight had flown to Canada to scatter his friends ashes
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Laura Proto14 March 2016

A British tourist claims he was detained for six days in Canada after border force officers mistook his friend’s ashes for ketamine.

Russell Laight, 41, from Worcestershire, was travelling to Halifax in Nova Scotia to scatter the ashes of his friend Simon Darby – who died of cancer in December - when his flight was diverted to Newfoundland.

Mr Laight said when he arrived and his bag was searched, border officials tested the ashes for illegal substances, which reportedly came back positive for ketamine.

He said he was then immediately detained and kept in a provincial courthouse cell for five nights.

He told CBC News: “I was very, very unhappy about it.

“Very unhappy that my friend’s relatives were unhappy as well. I heard there were lots of people crying over it, lots of people upset about it.”

Mr Laight said he was “treated a bit like a dog” and had all his privileges taken away.

After tests revealed the ashes did not contain the class B drug, he was released from prison on March 7 - but he says he was left without the ashes of his friend.

He told CBC News: “I really am interested to find out where they are and preferably get them here as fast as possible so we can do what my friend Simon wanted us to do in the first place: spread them over here with my buddy.”

He added that he did not fill out the correct paperwork and urged other travellers to ensure they learnt from his mistakes.

A spokesman for the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary told CBC News it was not in possession of Mr Darby’s ashes and they were being held by the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit-Newfoundland and Labrador.

The ashes are expected to be returned to Mr Laight sometime this week.

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