TAOYUAN, TAIWAN – A Melbourne mother-of-five has been sentenced to 16 years in prison in Taiwan after being caught smuggling 7kg of cocaine and heroin through Taoyuan International Airport. Debbie Voulgaris, 58, was arrested on December 10, 2023, with the drugs, estimated to have a street value of $40 million NT (Taiwan New Dollars), concealed in her luggage.
Voulgaris claimed she was unwittingly carrying the suitcase, which she picked up in Malaysia two days prior, for her ex-husband, John Voulgaris, also of Melbourne. She testified she was promised US$1,800, along with free flights and accommodation, for transporting the luggage. John Voulgaris, who runs a home loans business, maintains their innocence, claiming they were entrapped by a group posing as overseas investors with whom he had conducted business for over 16 years. Despite being summoned, he did not appear in court to testify.
The Taoyuan District Court heard Voulgaris initially denied knowledge of the drugs before implicating her ex-husband. While drug smuggling in Taiwan carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment or death, the judge reduced Voulgaris’s sentence citing her guilty plea and family’s financial situation.
Voulgaris’s children have steadfastly supported their mother, launching a change.org petition and a GoFundMe campaign to facilitate visits to her in prison. They allege she has been held under a strict communication ban, only allowed contact with lawyers, Australian officials, and fellow inmates.
Voulgaris will be deported to Australia after serving her sentence. The case highlights the severe penalties for drug offenses in Taiwan and the complexities surrounding international drug trafficking operations.