300kg of cannabis seized at London airports

Eleven people have been charged with attempting to smuggle more than 300kg of cannabis into the UK via Heathrow and Gatwick. National Crime Agency investigators questioned people following their arrest by Border Force officers, after they which they were charged with smuggling class B drugs.

Paige Jonas-Willingham, 21, of no fixed abode, and Paul Lambert, 42, from Salford, arrived on Saturday (21 September) on a flight from Bangkok, via Muscat. Approximately 45kg of cannabis was found in two suitcases from the same flight.

A third person, Raekelle Powell, 22, a professional volleyball player from Toronto in Canada arrived the same day on a flight from that city and was stopped after officers discovered approximately 19kg of the drug in suitcases.

Victoria Roberson, 35, from California, USA, arrived on the same day and was stopped after officers discovered approximately 36kg of cannabis in checked-in baggage. On Sunday, Siobhan McTavey, 24, from Northern Ireland, arrived on a flight from Bangkok via Doha. Border Force officers found 45kg of the drug in baggage.

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Malaysian national Chew Meu Wong, 42, arrived from Bangkok via Bahrain and was arrested after 43kg of cannabis was found in a bag. Canadian nationals Christopher Duffell, 44, and Tania Fetherston, 51, who arrived on a flight from Toronto via Copenhagen, were arrested after 30.7kg and 34.7kg of the drug were found in luggage.

Malaysian national Siew Fong Chua, 33, who arrived on a flight from Bangkok, was arrested after 17.1kg of the drug was found in luggage. Two people were also arrested at Gatwick after two bags which each contained 20kg of cannabis were seized.

They were Peter Kargbo, 22, from Wolverhampton, who had arrived on a flight from Bangkok on Saturday, and Canadian national Malik Barrett, 29, who had arrived on a flight from Toronto on Sunday.

Jonas-Willingham, Lambert, Roberson, Powell, McTavey Chua, Fetherston, Duffell and Wong all appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates Court. All were remanded into custody before their next appearance at Isleworth Crown Court on 24 October.

Kargbo and Barrett appeared at Croydon Magistrates Court on Tuesday, where they were remanded into custody before their next appearances at Croydon Crown Court on 21 October and 28 October respectively.

In August, the NCA issued a warning to travellers arriving into the UK from Thailand, Canada and the USA that they face jail sentences if caught attempting to smuggle cannabis into the country. However, arrests are still being made and the amount of cannabis seized in the UK so far in 2024 is three times more than the whole of 2023.

The increase in these seizures is fuelled by organised crime gangs who have access to cannabis grown overseas, in locations where it is legal, who are recruiting couriers to transport it to the UK where it can generate greater profit for them than growing the drugs themselves.

NCA Branch Commander Andy Noyes said: “The NCA continues to warn people attempting to smuggle huge quantities of cannabis into the country. The gangs behind the trafficking of cannabis into the UK do not care that the couriers will likely be arrested and end up in prison – their sole purpose is to make money. Anyone who attempts to smuggle drugs into the UK needs to know that you will be identified, you will be arrested and you will spend time in prison.”

The NCA continues to work with law enforcement partners in both the UK and overseas to target high-risk routes, seize shipments of drugs and disrupt the criminal gangs involved, denying them profits. Anyone with information on the smuggling of drugs through UK ports is urged to report it, anonymously if they prefer, by calling Border Force’s Customs Hotline on 0800 595 000.