Debbie Voulgaris: Devastated daughter of mother-of-five facing death penalty after allegedly smuggling drugs into Taiwan breaks her silence

The devastated daughter of an Australian woman facing the death penalty after allegedly smuggling drugs into Taiwan has shared a heartbreaking letter her mother sent from prison - as she raises funds to visit her overseas.

Debbie Voulgaris, 57, from Melbourne, was arrested at Taoyuan International Airport in December after 7kg of cocaine and heroin were allegedly found in black plastic bags inside her suitcase.

Taiwanese police allege she initially 'vehemently denied' that she knew about the drugs, before later claiming her ex-husband John was behind the scheme.

However, Mr Voulgaris previously told Daily Mail Australia that he and Ms Voulgaris were 'innocent' and had 'set up'.

If convicted under the East Asian Island's strict laws, she could face the firing squad or life in prison.

Now, the couple's daughter Maria has shared a handwritten letter her mother sent to her 'angel' children urging them to be strong as she awaits her fate.

'Agapoules Mou!!! [Greek for 'my loves'],' the letter begins.

'I read all of your letters. 

'I can't reply as yet not until some restrictions have been lifted. I miss you soo soo much.'

Ms Voulgaris said her mind 'never leaves' her children and 'I love you with all my heart and soul'.

'Please, please stay safe, eat well, don't stress about anything. Everything will be fine. I need you to stay united as you do. 

'I will always love you. You're my whole world. So proud of you all.'

Sharing the letter online, Maria said she never knew how much seeing someone's handwriting would provide her with so much comfort, describing the note as a 'mother's love expressed through foreign walls'. 

'If only we knew our love for literature and leaving one another letters would someday become our only way of survival,' she said.

The letter comes as Maria rallies to raise funds to help her travel to Taiwan to be reunited with her mother.

The young woman said her mum, who has now been imprisoned for seven months, has been subjected to a very strict communication ban and the only people she has been permitted to speak to are her lawyers, fellow inmates, and Australian diplomats.

She has launched a GoFundMe to raise funds for her and her siblings' airfare, accommodation, and 'other necessary costs' so they can head to Taiwan for Ms Voulgaris' trial in August. 

'I do not remember what my mother looks like or sounds like apart from the little-to-none content I have to remember her by,' she wrote on the fundraiser.

'I am hoping to raise funds to cover the travel expenses to finally visit her for the first time.

'This will be my first time traveling overseas and it’ll be to visit my mother in a foreign prison.'

The fundraiser has so far raised more than $3000 of the $5000 goal since it was launched on Tuesday.

In a post on Instagram, Maria said she was left 'speechless' by the response.

'I've woken up this morning in absolute tears,' she said.

'I just know if my mum could see this right now, she would feel so at peace knowing how many people are helping us unite and how many sisters are pushing her truth out.' 

In May, John Voulgaris, who runs a home loan company, said he and his ex-wife were scammed by criminals posing as overseas investors.

He said he first met the group 16 years ago and had even attended a bank with them in Taiwan in 2007 as part of their business proceedings.

Over the years, they remained in contact. However, he said their solicitor recently got in touch with a new proposal.

'All we were doing was an overseas investment,' he said.

'They wanted to invest. I sent $3million out of my money. When I found out [about her arrest], I tried to get in contact with them but they switched off their phones.

'She is bloody innocent. We have been set up.

'We don't know anything about bloody drugs and have never seen or touched them in our lives.'

Taiwanese police allege Ms Voulgaris was handed the category one drugs in Malaysia around December 10 before she flew to Taiwan.

They further allege the Aussie mum was paid $US1,800 (AUD$2,700) to take the drugs in addition to her accommodation and transport costs.

The drugs had a street value of about $1.25million, according to Chen Po-chuan, the captain of Taiwan's Criminal Investigation Brigade.

Ms Voulgaris' lawyer Leon Huang told media in May that the Australian mum told authorities she was in Taiwan for a holiday.

He said officers had been sent to her hotel to see if anyone came to collect the drugs, but no one had arrived.

Mr Huang said Ms Voulgaris was a 'good-natured person' who 'believed people easily' and was 'not aware of the nature of her travelling'. 

Ms Voulgaris has been detained in a Taiwanese prison since her arrest.