Miraculous Return: Mary Jane Veloso's Journey Home

Mary Jane Veloso, a Filipina previously on death row in Indonesia, will return to the Philippines after 15 years. Convicted of drug trafficking in 2010, her story highlighted how a criminal syndicate exploited her as an unwitting courier. Her return follows a diplomatic arrangement between the nations.

Mary Jane Veloso, a Filipina who once faced execution in Indonesia, is set to return to her homeland this week, officials announced Monday. After spending nearly 15 years imprisoned for drug trafficking, she gained a last-minute reprieve in 2015, leading to the exposure of a criminal syndicate that manipulated her.

Veloso was relocated Sunday to a women's prison in Jakarta, preparing for her flight back to the Philippines, according to the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections. Her repatriation comes after a practical agreement sealed between the two countries, ending Manila's decade-long pleas.

In a poignant conversation with The Associated Press, Veloso expressed that her return feels miraculous following years of separation from her family. Arrested in 2010, Veloso was initially sentenced to death after authorities discovered heroin concealed in her luggage at Yogyakarta airport.

(With inputs from agencies.)