Two women arrested on suspicion of trying to smuggle cocaine worth €1.7 million out of Peru have been formally charged, prosecutors have said. Michaella McCollum and Melissa Reid, both 20, were moved to a detention centre in Lima after appearing before the District Prosecutor on Tuesday.

The women face a maximum prison sentence of 15 years if convicted, the prosecutor's office in Callao added.

McCollum and Reid were detained in Lima last week accused of trying to smuggle millions of dollars worth of cocaine into Europe. The two women have protested their innocence, saying they were forced to carry items in their luggage at gunpoint.

Peruvian officials say the women were en route to Madrid and Majorca on August 6th when airport officials discovered almost 12kgs (26lbs) of cocaine hidden inside food packages in their luggage.

They will eventually be taken to the high security women's prison Ancon 2, north of Lima.

Lima-based journalist Dan Collyns spoke to Newstalk Breakfast about the latest developments.

Michaela McCollum & Melissa Reid were detained at Lima airport, Peru

Commenting on the women's current condition in custody, Peter Madden, the lawyer for Ms. McCollum said "They're both in a holding cell, there are two other women there, but they haven't gotten anything to eat today".

"They haven't been offered any food and to me that is unacceptable. The conditions inside the holding cells are pretty grim.

"They are expected to lie almost on the floor, there is a sort of sponge-type bed which is just not acceptable, there are no blankets, it's not clean, and the most important thing is that they haven't actually been offered any food today, and it didn't look as if they were going to be."