The glamorous world of modeling is often associated with grandeur and glitz, but the reality is far from it for some. In a shocking incident, a model was caught smuggling a large amount of heroin into Dublin and was subsequently detained in prison. However, the treatment she received during her time behind bars was nothing short of appalling, prompting outrage and condemnation from all corners. In this article, we delve deeper into the incident, examining the circumstances surrounding the model’s arrest, her treatment in jail, and the aftermath of the entire ordeal.
Tereza Hluskova, a 27-year-old Czech woman, was arrested in January 2018 at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport when 8.5 kilos of heroin were found in her luggage as she was heading to Dublin. Despite her claims that someone had placed the drugs in her suitcase without her knowledge, she was jailed for four years.
Ms Hluskova’s prison experience was nothing short of traumatic. She was treated “like animals” and was constantly humiliated. She even thought that she was going to die while in prison. “I admire the person who comes out of prison and is completely fine. I still have the experience inside me. Now and then I remember how they woke us up, how the girls beat us and how cold it was there. I had no medical help, I had to help myself, I was crying. “I’ll have it in me for the rest of my life.” While in prison, she had to learn how to get used to socializing again.
Her journey to prison began when she dropped out of school in the Czech Republic to work in a café. She was then offered a “favourable” job as a sex worker, and she was taken under the wing of a woman called Sara. Despite her hesitations, Ms Hluskova followed Sara’s orders, which included having sex with her husband to check if she was “worth it or not.”
Soon after, Ms Hluskova turned to drugs and alcohol and adopted the name Jennifer to release herself from the fear of what was happening to her. She worked in a high-class bar, dressed fully in black, where she was introduced to wealthy clients. While working as an escort, she suffered a terrible beating from a Turkish man who tried to suffocate her after sex. She shared horrific details of the violence that she endured but admitted her memory was scant because she was high on drugs and booze.
She was then told she was being sent to England for some erotic photo shoots before flying to Pakistan, where she became embroiled in the Dublin heroin-smuggling plot. Customs officials pounced on her at the airport after finding nearly 9kg of heroin stashed in statues in her suitcase as she was trying to make her way to Ireland. Video footage shows officers rummaging through her bags while the model cries.
Ms Hluskova claimed that she had no knowledge of the drugs that were found in her suitcase. “They gave me something for luggage, three statues or something. They said it was gifts. I didn’t know there was something inside.” Nevertheless, she was jailed for four years, which proved to be a horrific experience for her.
Ms Hluskova’s story is a stark reminder of how vulnerable people can become when they find themselves in situations that are beyond their control. Her story serves as a cautionary tale for those who may find themselves in controversial and, often, dangerous situations, and how they should seek help immediately.
