UK Court Convicts 11 Over £13.8m Cannabis Smuggling

Eleven drug couriers have been convicted over a plot to smuggle 460kg of cannabis worth £13.8 million into the UK through Birmingham Airport. The drugs were concealed in 22 suitcases carried by passengers travelling from Thailand via Paris.

Daniel Momodu · August 21, 2026 · 36

A UK court has convicted 11 drug couriers over an attempt to smuggle cannabis worth £13.8 million into the United Kingdom through Birmingham Airport.

The National Crime Agency said the couriers were arrested by Border Force officers in August 2024 after arriving on the same flights from Thailand via Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.

Birmingham Crown Court heard that the group carried 22 suitcases containing about 460kg of cannabis, with each courier carrying two suitcases.

The cannabis was vacuum-packed and concealed beneath a thin layer of clothing. Eight of the suitcases also contained Apple AirTag trackers linked to the same Apple ID account.

Investigators said the suitcases were so heavy that some of the couriers had to pay excess baggage charges at Bangkok Airport before boarding their flights.

Border Force officers became suspicious after identifying four passengers who had travelled from Birmingham to Paris on Aug. 9, 2024, each carrying two large suitcases.

The officers subsequently increased checks at the airport and intercepted the group.

The convicted couriers were identified as Carsten Kyei, Bradley Lloyd, Claire McCullough, Lewis Ross, Nathan Vitorino, Ryan Boachie, Gideon Oluwasetemi Olumoyegun, Tasia Nelson, Jaden Ramen, Paige Crisp and Jamal Clarke.

Kyei and Vitorino were convicted on May 26 following a three-week trial, while Ross and Lloyd changed their pleas to guilty during the trial.

Crisp, Nelson and Ramen were convicted on Aug. 19 following a four-week trial, while McCullough, Boachie, Olumoyegun and Clarke had previously pleaded guilty.

Those convicted on Aug. 19 will be sentenced on Oct. 22, while the others will be sentenced on Sept. 3.

The National Crime Agency said the operation involved extensive planning and coordination, adding that the evidence showed a deliberate attempt to transport large quantities of cannabis into the UK.

NCA senior investigating officer Paul Boniface warned people against agreeing to smuggle drugs into the country, saying those involved would face justice.

The Border Force Midlands Command also warned that the convictions should serve as a deterrent to anyone considering transporting cannabis into the UK.