Essex men among those arrested as NCA seize £5m of cannabis at Birmingham airport

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Two Essex men are amongst those arrested after the National Crime Agency (NCA) seized £5million of cannabis at Birmingham Airport. A total of 11 air passengers from across the country were arrested and bailed pending further enquiries after allegedly attempting to bring half a ton of cannabis into the UK via Birmingham Airport.

They had flown into the UK from Thailand via Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport in August. The 11 include a 20-year-old man from Woodford and a 24-year-old from Dagenham.

On Wednesday, October 23, five more people aged between 21 and 27, were apprehended at separate addresses in the Marsh Farm area of Luton and at one address in Finchley (23 October). The NCA said they are suspected of organising the attempted importations

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NCA Branch Commander Mick Pope said: "The arrests in Luton and London show that we will leave no stone unturned in our hunt for anyone involved in attempts to smuggle cannabis into the UK, regardless of the level they operate at.

"The gangs behind this trade do not care that couriers will likely be arrested and end up in prison – their sole motivation is financial gain.

"Anyone who tries to smuggle drugs into the UK needs to know that they will be identified, arrested and spend time behind bars."