The National Crime Agency (NCA) has issued a serious warning to travelers arriving in the UK from Thailand, Canada, and the United States about the severe consequences of attempting to smuggle cannabis into the country. With a notable rise in arrests related to cannabis smuggling, authorities are determined to discourage potential drug mules from taking such risks.
This year, a staggering 378 individuals have been arrested in connection with cannabis smuggling investigations involving air passengers. During the same period, approximately 15 tonnes of cannabis have been detected and seized at UK airports, representing a dramatic increase compared to previous years. In 2023, around 5 tonnes were confiscated, resulting in 136 arrests; the figures for 2024 already show a threefold increase over that total. The total seized in 2022 was just two tonnes.
More than half of those arrested in 2023—71 individuals—arrived from US airports, while 24 each came from Thailand and Canada. Over half of the arrests this year (184) involved cannabis that originated in Thailand, with 75 linked to Canada and 47 to the United States.
Many of the individuals caught smuggling cannabis had been misled by their recruiters, who downplayed the risks, stating that they would only face a fine if caught. In reality, the maximum sentence for cannabis importation in the UK can reach up to 14 years in prison. This year alone, 196 people have been convicted, receiving sentences that total nearly 188 years.
Passengers attempting to bring cannabis into the UK typically carry between 15 and 40 kilos of the drug in their checked luggage. A notable case involved 51-year-old Spanish national Fernando Mayans Fuster, who was apprehended at Manchester Airport in May with eight suitcases containing an astonishing 158 kilos of cannabis, believed to be one of the largest passenger seizures at the airport.
On 9 August, authorities arrested 11 British passengers at Birmingham Airport after discovering 510 kilos of cannabis concealed within 28 suitcases. All individuals had traveled from Thailand, transiting through Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. They have been released on bail until 9 November while further investigations by the NCA continue, with indications that their cases are interconnected.
In some instances, law enforcement officers have recovered electronic trackers hidden within the drugs, believed to have been planted by organized criminals to monitor the illicit cargo. The NCA attributes the increase in cannabis smuggling to organized crime gangs that have access to cannabis grown in regions where it is legal, recruiting couriers to transport it to the UK for a significantly higher profit than they would receive from growing it themselves.
NCA Director General of Threats, James Babbage, noted that while it is sometimes unclear whether couriers are aware of the potential penalties, most operate on behalf of organized criminal networks. He emphasized that these couriers are risking life-altering prison sentences.
“Gangs can generate considerable profits by illegally smuggling high-quality cannabis grown in the USA, Canada, and Thailand into the UK,” Babbage stated. He affirmed that the NCA is actively collaborating with Border Force and international law enforcement agencies to target drug supply networks and disrupt the operations of those involved in drug smuggling.
Babbage urged anyone approached to engage in drug smuggling to reconsider, stating, “The risks of getting caught are high, and it just isn’t worth that risk.”
Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Seema Malhotra, echoed these sentiments, asserting that illegal drugs harm communities and fuel criminality. She reaffirmed the commitment of Border Force officers to detecting and seizing cannabis and other illegal substances, emphasizing that anyone caught attempting to bring drugs into the UK will face the full force of the law.
As the NCA and Border Force continue their efforts to keep illegal drugs off UK streets, the message is clear: the consequences of smuggling cannabis are severe, and it simply isn’t worth the risk.
