- Hundreds arrested for smuggling cannabis into UK
- Couriers misled about leniency in UK law
- Smugglers face severe penalties, many jailed
Officials claim the majority of the couriers, who can be paid up to £10,000, are coming from nations where cannabis is lawful for personal use and growing is permitted.
Hundreds of cannabis couriers have been captured attempting to carry luggage containing the narcotic through British airports.
According to the National Crime Agency, traffickers are duping them into believing that UK authorities are lenient on cannabis and will let them off with a fine.
In July, a man was sentenced to more than three years in prison after arriving from Los Angeles with 158 kilograms of the Class-B substance – worth £1 million on the street – in his and his children’s baggage.
This month, eleven British tourists from Thailand were arrested at Birmingham Airport when Border Force agents allegedly discovered 510 kg of cannabis in their suitcases.
The NCA’s deputy director, Charles Yates, stated, “It’s courageous. Couriers are simply passing through airports with suitcases full of cannabis, believing they will not be found and that if they are, they would only receive a fine.
“The reality is hugely different, and we are making many arrests and sending couriers to jail. The figures have climbed considerably in recent years.
There were 17 such arrests in 2022, 136 the previous year, and 378 this year. During the same period, the amount of cannabis seized increased from two to fifteen tonnes.
The majority of the couriers, who can be paid up to £10,000 by crime organizations, come from nations that have legalized cannabis for personal use and allow production.
The dozen or so countries include Canada, Thailand, Germany, and sections of the United States.
Mr Yates stated that many of the UK’s two million marijuana smokers felt, incorrectly, that legally cultivated cannabis was a better, more robust product and were willing to pay more for it.
“The THC concentration (potency) of UK-produced and legally cultivated cannabis is pretty similar. I believe the drug traffickers are simply brilliant at selling it in the UK.
Chelsea Allingham, 40, a Canadian, landed at Heathrow from Toronto in May with two suitcases full of cannabis and had reached her hotel’s bar when NCA agents approached and seized her in handcuffs.
Border Force agents had discovered the drug but allowed Allingham to grab her bags from the carousel and accompanied her as she handed them over and settled in for a celebratory drink. She was incarcerated for ten months.
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NCA Director General of Threats James Babbage stated, “We would urge anyone who is contacted to engage in smuggling to think very seriously about the potential implications of their conduct and the risks they will face.
“We understand that organized criminals might be convincing and offer to pay couriers. However, the hazards of being detected are significant, and it simply isn’t worth the risk.
The NCA is actively engaging with partners such as Border Force in the UK and law enforcement worldwide to target those involved in drug supply and the networks that support it. One approach to accomplish this is to target smugglers who play an essential role in the supply chain.
The Minister for Migration and Citizenship, Seema Malhotra, stated that illegal narcotics destroy communities and feed criminal organizations. We will not accept attempts to bring them into the country.
Our Border Force agents are dedicated to locating and seizing cannabis and other illegal narcotics, and last year, they seized a record amount of cannabis.
Anyone found smuggling cannabis into the UK will face the full force of the law, and Border Force will continue to work tirelessly with the NCA to keep illegal drugs off our streets.
