We were jailed on drug charges after airport ‘staff’ put our names on cocaine-filled bags – CCTV proved we were innocent

A COUPLE ended up in prison in Germany after airport "staff" in Brazil put their luggage tags on suitcases full of drugs.

Kátyna Baía, 44, and Jeanne Paolini, 40, were arrested in Frankfurt on suspicion of international drug trafficking after cops found 43kg of cocaine in suitcases labelled with their names.

An investigation by Brazil cops revealed the couple were victims of an international gang swapping luggage at the São Paulo International Airport.

Chilling CCTV revealed an elaborate criminal operation led by two airport staff and two female "passengers" who dropped off bags full of drugs that weren't checked in.

Footage showed the moment two airport staff removed the couple’s checked-in bags from the carousel before taking off the labels and putting them on the suitcases filled with drugs.

When Kátyna and Jeanne landed in Germany, they were arrested and wrongly jailed for 38 days on suspicion of drug trafficking.

They had planned a 20-day trip to Europe in March, flying from their hometown Goiânia, in Brazil, to Berlin, with connecting flights in São Paulo and Frankfurt.

But after landing in Germany, Jeanne was approached by a plain-clothed officer at baggage claim, who immediately took her in for questioning.

She recalled not thinking much of it as she thought it was a routine procedure at the airport.

But the Brazilian women were taken into custody and interrogated by cops in Frankfurt, and later taken to prison.

"This entire experience was an enormous shock for both of us and our families," Jeanne told The Sun.

"I was taken to a windowless room, and as soon as I entered he asked me to put my hands on the wall and handcuffed me saying I was under arrest.

"I obviously started to ask why he was arresting me but I could only understand the word ‘cocaine’ as he was speaking German."

The 40-year-old vet initially thought there must have been a misunderstanding as she was carrying flu medication in her bag.