A gang of drugs couriers who were part of a plot to smuggle cannabis worth £13.8 million into the UK via Birmingham Airport have been convicted.

The National Crime Agency investigated the group of 11, who were arrested by Border Force officers in August 2024 when the class B drugs were found packed into 22 suitcases.

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

They were Carsten Kyei, 21, from Newham, East London; Bradley Lloyd, 27, and Claire McCullough, 36, both from Wythenshawe, Greater Manchester; Lewis Ross, 35, from Bolton, Lancashire; Nathan Vitorino, 26, from Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire; Ryan Boachie, 32, from Edmonton, North London; Gideon Oluwasetemi Olumoyegun, 26, from Dagenham; Tasia Nelson, 22, from Newquay, Cornwall; Jaden Ramen, 23, from Colliers Wood, South London; Paige Crisp, 24, from Broomhall, Worcester, and Jamal Clarke, 22, from Walthamstow, London.

The convictions follow the launch of a new NCA social media campaign warning young people that smuggling cannabis from Thailand to the UK could land them in a foreign jail, after a new fines regime was announced by the Thai government.

Birmingham Crown Court heard that the couriers each had two suitcases which were both 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 connected to the same Apple ID account.

The court heard that suspicions were raised when Border Force established that four different passengers had travelled from Birmingham to Charles De Gaulle earlier that same day, 9 August. Each had two large suitcases. Border Force fully staffed the Nothing To Declare channel and made the seizures.

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.”

Kyei and Vitorino were convicted on 26 May 2026 following a three-week trial, while Ross and Lloyd changed their pleas to guilty during that trial.

Crisp, Nelson and Ramen were convicted today (Weds 19 Aug) following a four-week trial.

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

Those convicted today will be sentenced on 22 October. The others will be sentenced on 3 September.

NCA senior investigating officer Paul Boniface said:

“A huge amount of planning went into this sophisticated attempt to bring hundreds of kilos of cannabis into the UK.

“The detailed coordinated of flights and luggage demonstrates the lengths criminals will go to in order to hide their offending.

“With thanks to Border Force, we were able confiscate these drugs and stop criminals from benefitting financially from the damage they cause.

“Anyone who is approached to smuggle drugs into the UK should take this as a sign; you will not succeed, and if you try, you will face justice.”

Adam Chatfield, Head of Border Force Midlands Command, said:

“These convictions should be a stark warning to anyone considering bringing cannabis into the UK.

"The young people involved now face a serious crime on their records, damaging their job prospects and life chances.

"More than ever, we are working closely with law enforcement partners in the UK and overseas to combat drug smuggling, keep our communities safe and our borders secure."

Victoria Norman from the Crown Prosecution Service said:

“Working with investigators, prosecutors pieced together a picture of a highly co-ordinated effort to smuggle industrial quantities of drugs into the country.

“Ultimately, this strong evidence led to six of the group pleading guilty, with the remainder convicted following a trial.

“The CPS is committed to working with the NCA to tackle organised crime and ensure that those involved with drug smuggling are brought to justice.”

The number of people trying to bring cannabis into the UK has sharply increased over recent years. In 2024, 801 cannabis smugglers were caught arriving in the UK by plane – 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.

Films in the new campaign will run across TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube and will direct viewers to Crimestoppers (www.druggage.co.uk) where they can learn about the dangers of carrying drugs for crime gangs, and how to report it anonymously if they have been approached.

19 August 2026