An East London man has been jailed for his part in a scheme to smuggle £13.8 million worth of cannabis into the UK from Thailand.
Jamal Clarke, 22, of The Mile End, Walthamstow, was sentenced to 30 months in prison at Birmingham Crown Court today (Sunday 9 November).
Clarke was one of the couriers who arrived at Birmingham Airport from Thailand via Paris in August 2024, each carrying two suitcases packed with a total of 460 kilos of cannabis.
A thin layer of clothing covered the vacuum-packed drugs, and eight suitcases contained Apple AirTag trackers, all linked to the same Apple ID.
Border Force officers identified the pattern and fully staffed the “nothing to declare” customs channel, leading to the discovery.
Paul Boniface, senior investigating officer at the National Crime Agency (NCA), said: “These couriers are now facing time in prison and life-altering convictions that put future career and travel prospects in serious peril.”
He added: “Their cases should serve as a warning to others that it’s not worth the risk, and the price paid is simply too high.”
Mr Boniface said: “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.”
Clarke was convicted alongside Tasia Nelson, 22, of Cheviot Road, Newquay, Cornwall, who received a suspended sentence of 30 months imprisonment, suspended for three years.
It is the latest conviction in a series of major drug-smuggling cases to reach the courts. Police are also appealing for help to find men on Crimestoppers’ most-wanted list with London links, and Russell Brand was jailed for 10 years and six months at Southwark Crown Court today for rape and sexual assaults against four women.
