A 30-year-old Russian woman accused of being a cocaine mule faces the death penalty in Vietnam. But Maria Dapirka, who has already written a ‘farewell letter’ to her mother, claims she was set up by her lover who posed as a top footballer. .

Her lawyers have said she has accepted she may soon be executed, but still clings on to some hope she will be freed after three years in prison. Dapirka, who lived in Thailand when she met her lover, known as Nick, was caught with almost 3kg of cocaine by Vietnamese customs on a flight from Singapore.

She said the cocaine was planted in her luggage by Nick – or ‘Chibueze’ – who apparently has a penchant for seducing attractive young women before conning them into carrying drugs. .

Dapirka’s verdict and sentence was due to be handed down by a Vietnamese judge yesterday, in a Ho Chi Minh city court, but the session was postponed ‘for further investigation’ for the fifth time. .

In a letter to her mother Olga, a desperate Dapirka said she was ready for any decision by the court. She wrote: ‘Don’t worry about me. I am fine. I am ready for any end. ‘I hope you will manage to visit me.’I’ve not seen you for four years. I miss you so much! Please take good care of your health.’ .

Pro-Kremlin news site Mash in Russia published a picture purporting to be ‘Nick’, the man she accuses of framing her after they met in Thailand. The Nigerian media has claimed the same man used different fake names to dupe dozens of other women with model looks to act as drugs mules. .

His real name is not known. ‘He seduced the girls promising to marry them and establishing intimate relationships with his victims, but little did they know what they have been chosen for.’ .

A campaign organised by Maria Dapirka’s friends calling for her release alleged that ‘a whole criminal syndicate of Nigerian men work in Asia and all around the world, like Maria’s so-called boyfriend.