LOS ANGELES, Dec. 28 – A girl follower of hippie leader Charles Manson was arrested here on suspicion of trying to smuggle drugs, concealed in two balloons, into his jail cell.

The girl, Brenda McCann, 19, was booked on suspicion of possessing dangerous drugs after she swallowed one balloon when her handbag as being searched at the entrance yesterday, police said.

They said she tried to grab a second balloon which a jail warden found, but failed. The balloon was confiscated.

Balloons are a common way of transporting drugs in southern California. Police said the second balloon had been handed over to the Narcotics Bureau for analysis.

Miss McCann was on her way to visit Manson, chief defendant In the Tate murder trial, when she was given the routine search. Manson and three of his female followers are on trial on charges of killing film actress Sharon Tate and six other people in August, 1969.

Miss McCann, who gave her often-used alias of Nancy Pitman when arrested, recently persuaded her husband, Bruce Davis, 27, another Manson “family” member, to give himself up on a murder charge.

Davis was wanted on a charge of taking part in the torture killing of Los Angeles musician Gary Hinman in July last year.

Miss McCann was also wanted by police on a check forgery charge but was released as part of the Davis surrender deal.

Her arrest yesterday was the third drug incident involving the jailed Manson. Earlier this year police removed his rights to visits in an open room with his attorney after LSD was found on him.

Two weeks ago there were reports that marijuana and hack-saws had been found in his cell but police would neither confirm nor deny these.