Gang paid for extra baggage allowance to smuggle drugs

A drug smuggling gang that attempted to import cannabis worth £13.8m into the UK via Birmingham Airport will face "life-altering convictions", the National Crime Agency (NCA) said.

Five members of the group who saw their plot foiled by having to pay excess baggage charges were sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on Thursday.

In total, 11 gang members were arrested by Border Force officers at Birmingham Airport in August 2024 when the Class B drug was discovered packed into 22 suitcases.

Paul Boniface, an NCA senior investigating officer, said: "Their cases should serve as a warning to others that it's not worth the risk, and the price paid is simply too high.

He continued: "These couriers are now facing time in prison and life-altering convictions that put future career and travel prospects in serious peril."

"We are grateful to our partners at Border Force who discovered these drugs.

"The NCA will continue to do all we can to stop drugs being smuggled into the UK and deprive criminal groups of profits."

The NCA said the gang had travelled to the UK from Thailand via Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris and had to pay excess baggage charges at Bangkok airport because of the weight of their suitcases.

Suspicions were raised when Border Force linked the seizures to other travellers using connecting flights into Birmingham, prompting them to fully staff the "nothing to declare" customs green channel.

This resulted in the cannabis being found.

Each member was found with two suitcases containing vacuum-packed cannabis concealed beneath clothing. Each pair of cases held 20kg (44lb) of the drug, with 460kg (1,014lb) seized in total.

Eight of the cases included Apple Air Tag trackers, which NCA investigators identified were all connected to the same Apple ID account.

After their arrest, the 11 gang members were charged with attempting to carry, remove, deposit, harbour, keep, conceal and deal with Class B drugs with intent to evade prohibition on importing.

Gideon Oluwasetemi Olumoyegun, 26, from Dagenham, and Ryan Boachie, 32, from Edmonton, North London, were both sentenced to 24 months.

Claire McCullough, 36, from Wythenshawe, Greater Manchester, was sentenced to 24 months and two months consecutively.

Jaden Ramen, 23, from Colliers Wood, South London, was sentenced to 32 months. Paige Crisp, 25, from Malvern, Worcestershire, was sentenced to 30 months.

Tasia Nelson, 22, from Newquay, Cornwall, and Jamal Clarke, 22, from Walthamstow, London, will be sentenced on 30 October.

Crisp, Nelson and Ramen were convicted on 19 August following a four-week trial.

McCullogh, Boachie, Olumoyegun and Clarke all pleaded guilty at previous hearings.

Four other couriers who were part of the same conspiracy were sentenced at the same court on 21 September.

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