A 45-year-old woman has admitted smuggling 51.2kg of cannabis from Thailand on a flight to the United Kingdom, following a National Crime Agency investigation.
Amy Jayne Durban, of Hemyock, Cullompton, Devon, was arrested by Border Force officers on 6 July at Heathrow Airport having arrived from Bangkok.
Her two suitcases were stuffed with cannabis which had a street value of at least £512,000.
Durban was remanded to custody after appearing at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court in July and today (Thurs 6 Aug) at Isleworth Crown Court she pleaded guilty to smuggling Class B drugs.
She was remanded and will be sentenced on 14 October.
Fuelled by demand in the UK, there has been an explosion in the number of drug couriers trying to smuggle cannabis into the country.
They are usually approached on social media by organised crime groups who offer a ‘free’ holiday and spending money in exchange for taking cannabis home where other criminals will take the drugs from the courier and move them on.
In 2023, 142 cannabis smugglers were caught arriving in the UK by plane.
In 2024 that number rocketed to 801 – a 464% increase. The figure rose again in 2025 to 976. And 2026 is on track to be even worse with 600 air passenger couriers arrested at UK airports in the first six months alone.
Durban’s conviction comes after the NCA and partners in Thailand last month announced a new crackdown in the country.
Those caught trying to smuggle cannabis now face huge fines – around £680 per kg. The ‘average’ smuggler is caught in Thailand with 26kg – equalling a fine of £17,680. If it isn’t paid, the smuggler will go to jail for up to two years in Thailand.
Mark Abbott, NCA senior investigating officer, said: “There are really bad outcomes at home and abroad when couriers are caught smuggling cannabis. As well as time in prison, a life-changing conviction will damage future career and travel prospects.
“People should understand that these crime groups use profits from cannabis smuggling to fund the trafficking of other drugs too. All of those drugs fuel wider crime in our communities and have a toxic effect on people’s lives.”
The NCA has launched a new social media campaign warning young people that smuggling cannabis from Thailand to the UK could land them in a foreign jail.
The films 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.
6 August 2026
