Eleven people were charged with attempting to smuggle more than 300 kilos of cannabis into Britain through Heathrow and Gatwick airports over two days.[1][2] National Crime Agency investigators questioned them after Border Force officers made the arrests, and all eleven were charged with smuggling class B drugs.[1][2]
On Saturday 21 September, Paige Jonas-Willingham, 21, and Paul Lambert, 42, arrived on a flight from Bangkok via Muscat with about 45 kilos in two suitcases; Raekelle Powell, 22, a Canadian volleyball player, arrived from Toronto with about 19 kilos; and Victoria Roberson, 35, arrived from California with about 36 kilos in checked baggage.[1] On Sunday, Siobhan McTavey, 24, arrived from Bangkok via Doha with 45 kilos, Malaysian national Chew Meu Wong, 42, arrived from Bangkok via Bahrain with 43 kilos, Canadians Christopher Duffell, 44, and Tania Fetherston, 51, arrived from Toronto via Copenhagen with 30.7 and 34.7 kilos, and Malaysian national Siew Fong Chua, 33, arrived from Bangkok with 17.1 kilos.[1] Two more bags of 20 kilos each were seized at Gatwick from Peter Kargbo, 22, who had flown from Bangkok, and Canadian Malik Barrett, 29, who had flown from Toronto.[1][2] Most appeared before magistrates and were remanded in custody for crown court hearings in October.[1]
The NCA said seizures at British airports in 2024 already ran at three times the whole of 2023, driven by organised gangs recruiting couriers to carry cannabis grown overseas into Britain for greater profit.[1][2]
