Four jailed over international £13.8m drug plot
The cannabis was found packed into 22 suitcases that had arrived from Thailand, investigators say.
Four jailed over international £13.8m drug plot
The suitcases containing vacuum-packed cannabis were seized at Birmingham Airport in August 2024
Four people involved in a major international drugs gang that tried to bring cannabis worth £13.8m into the UK from Thailand have been jailed.
The case followed the arrest of 11 gang members by border force officers at Birmingham Airport in August 2024, after the Class B drug was found packed into 22 suitcases, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said.
Investigators said the group had flown to the UK from Thailand via Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, and had been forced to pay excess baggage charges at Bangkok airport because of the weight of their suitcases.
Each courier was found with two cases containing 20kg (44lb) of vacuum-packed cannabis hidden beneath clothing, making a total of 460kg (1,014lb).
The drugs were uncovered after border force officers linked the seizures to passengers on connecting flights into Birmingham, and then fully staffed the nothing to declare customs channel at the airport.
Investigators also found that eight of the cases contained Apple Air Tags, all linked to the same Apple ID account.
One courier was told: "My man gonna be on the other side – don't leave the airport until you see him leave. Even if your bags are there just let them go round on the belt, go toilet etc. etc."
Carsten Kyei, 21 and Nathan Vitorino, 26, Lewis Ross, 35, and Bradley Lloyd, 27 were sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court (L-R)
After the investigation, 11 people were charged with attempting to carry, remove, deposit, harbour, keep, conceal and deal with Class B drugs with intent to evade prohibition on importing.
Carsten Kyei, 21, from Newham, London and Nathan Vitorino, 26, from Welwyn Garden City, were found guilty and sentenced to two years and eight months in prison on Monday, after a three-week trial at Birmingham Crown Court.
Lewis Ross, 35, from Bolton, Lancashire and Bradley Lloyd, 27, from Wythenshawe, Greater Manchester, both changed their pleas to guilty at the same trial, with Ross jailed for two years and eight months and Lloyd jailed for four years.
The suitcases had travelled from Thailand via Paris
Paige Crisp, 24, of Malvern, Worcestershire, Tasia Nelson, 22, of Newquay, Cornwall, and Jaden Ramen, 23, of Merton, London, were all convicted of the same charge at the same court in August.
Claire McCullough, 36, of Wythenshawe, Greater Manchester; Ryan Boachie, 32, of Edmonton, London; Gideon Oluwasetemi Olumoyegun, 26, of Dagenham, London, and Jamal Clarke, 22, of Mile End, London, all pleaded guilty at previous hearings.
The remaining members of the group are all due to be sentenced at the same court on 22 October.
Paul Boniface, NCA senior investigating officer, said the sentences showed drugs couriers could end up "paying a high price" for smuggling cannabis to the UK.
"With the help of border force, we were able to intercept these drugs, deprive the criminal network behind the importation of considerable profits and protect the public from the damaging effects of cannabis," he said.
Adam Chatfield, head of Border Force Midlands Command, added: "These convictions should be a stark warning to anyone considering bringing cannabis into the UK.
"The young people involved now have a serious crime on their records, damaging their job prospects and life chances.