Border Force and the National Crime Agency (NCA) seized 26,924 kg of cannabis from around 750 smugglers flying into UK airports in 2024.[1][2] That was nearly five times the 5,609 kg seized in 2023, when 134 suspects were arrested, and far above the two tonnes seized in 2022.[1]
Heathrow accounted for the largest share, with 430 arrests and 14,617 kg seized, followed by Manchester with about 135 arrests and 4,815 kg, and Birmingham with 40 arrests and 1,410 kg.[1] Of the couriers, 460 had arrived from Thailand, 108 from Canada and 63 from the United States, with the rest from other countries; by nationality about 290 were UK citizens, alongside 162 Malaysians, 86 Canadians and 52 Americans.[1][2]
The NCA judges the trend is fuelled by organised crime groups with access to cannabis grown legally overseas, recruiting couriers to carry it to Britain where it fetches higher profits.[1] The agency had warned travellers from Thailand, Canada and the United States in August 2024 that they faced jail sentences if caught.[1][2] NCA director of threat leadership Alex Murray said Border Force had been excellent at detecting the couriers and that targeting them was crucial to breaking the supply chain.[1]
