''drug smuggling''

Why would the UK government be obliged to help a Ukrainian citizen in the Ukraine? 

So she was carrying a controlled substance for which she had no doctors prescription for across a border checkpoint?  I don't know really what can be done about it.  Indeed a tough situation.

Drugs are always a difficult one because of the harm they do. I would guess your only hope is to show your need along with a letter from your doctor, then hope the authorities believe the error story.
A couple of question come to mind. What quantity are we talking about and why was she stopped?

The only valuable advice is to have a very good lawyer.

GreyKyiv wrote:

The only valuable advice is to have a very good lawyer.

Agreed, but the forum members could perhaps ask searching question that the prosecution might ask.

Tramadol is a powerful addictive opiate that is commonly abused.

It's the sort of drug you don't allow yourself to misplace as it saves you from extreme pain.
It's also something you don't take by accident.
Regular tramadol users would take care of their supply, not leave it floating around for anyone to pick up.
What quantity are we talking about, just one misplaced blister pack of 10 tabs/capsules or a whole box of an extremely dangerous drug the lady accidentally picked up without checking before she went to an airport?
Why didn't our OP notice his essential medication was missing, notably because the common dose period is 4 to 6 hours between tablets?
Finally, why did she get picked out of the thousands of travellers who pass through the borders every year?
The chances of being stopped must be zero, so how unlucky is she?

I'm sure there are perfectly understandable reasons why all these things happened or got missed.

As a lawyer I would not keep discussing anything on the subject matter. Advice should be sought only from the lawyer taking the case. There are many small but very crucial nuances that could impact drastically on the case. Time is of essence here and I would not waste it. Find a good lawyer asap.

Sorry but I will have to mention a sad story we've heard about here a while ago.

Please consider this as a basic (non personal) check : how long have you been married to your wife ?

Last time I read a similar story, the recently married British husband was asked to pay an important amount of money to free his Russian wife from jail ; after a trip to russia she got arrested for transporting some sort of icon (supposedly a nice present for her husband)...

Thank you to everyone's comments on my topic ''drug smuggling''.
As I was on a repeat prescription in UK of tramadol issued by my GP, I had a surplus as I took them on a irregular basis as and when I suffered acute pain. In UK, tramadol is a class C drug, obviously obtained on prescription. Both my wife's medication and mine were kept together in a cool/safe area of the kitchen. Due to circumstances on the day of departure we were running late so last minute packing was getting done quickly. I had no idea of the severity and the tramadol was seen and checked at the UK departure airport and no advice given. She arrived at Zhulany airport, Kiev and there is an x-ray machine on departure from the airport. There is none at Borispol as far as I am aware. All legalised documentation has been forwarded to the relevant authorities in Ukraine. There was no malice intended.

Hi there, we are in our third year of marriage. Yes, i have been informed money could change relevant minds ((( i have no choice, providing it works (i pray)......