The National Crime Agency investigated the group, who were arrested by Border Force officers in August 2024 when the class B drugs were found packed into 22 suitcases.

They had arrived in the UK on the same flights from Thailand via Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.

Those sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court were: Gideon Oluwasetemi Olumoyegun, 26, from Dagenham; Ryan Boachie, 32, from Edmonton, Claire McCullough, 36, from Greater Manchester; Jaden Ramen, 23, from Colliers Wood, Paige Crisp, 25, from Worcester.

They’ve been handed between 24 and 32 months in prison.

The final two drugs couriers, Jamal Clarke, 22, from Walthamstow, and Tasia Nelson, 22, from Cornwall, were sentenced to 30 months imprisonment and 30 months imprisonment suspended for three years respectively.

The court heard that the couriers each had two suitcases which were packed with 20 kilos of cannabis, which amounted to 460 kilos in total.

The couriers had to pay an excess charge at Bangkok Airport to put them in the hold as they were so heavy.

Each suitcase had a thin layer of clothing above the vacuum-packed cannabis, and eight contained Apple Air Tag trackers. NCA investigators identified that these were all connected to the same Apple ID account.

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.

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.”

NCA senior investigating officer Paul Boniface said: “These couriers are now facing time in prison and life-altering convictions that put future career and travel prospects in serious peril.

“Their cases should serve as a warning to others that it’s not worth the risk, and the price paid is simply too high.

“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.”

In 2024, 801 cannabis smugglers were caught arriving in the UK by plane, which is an increase of 464% on 2023.

This figure rose to 976 in 2025, and it’s on track to rise again in 2026 with 600 air passenger couriers arrested from January to June.