Attention weed smugglers! According to the UK National Crime Agency, 93 Malaysians have been arrested this year among the 378 who brought cannabis

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 29 — Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) today warned Malaysian travellers not to bring cannabis into the country, as they risk jail sentences.

In a statement, the agency said 93 Malaysians have been arrested so far this year for attempting to smuggle cannabis into the UK.

“In some cases it is unclear whether the mules knew what the potential penalties were, but in most cases they were operating on behalf of organised criminal gangs,” said James Babbage, the NCA’s director general of threats.

“Gangs can make significant profits by illegally selling and smuggling high-quality cannabis grown legally in the US, Canada and Thailand into the UK.”

These arrests are part of a broader crackdown on cannabis smuggling, with a total of 378 people arrested in connection with such activities.

According to the NCA, a staggering 15 tonnes of cannabis have been seized at UK airports this year, a significant increase on the five tonnes seized in 2023.

More than half of the people arrested in 2023 were flown in from the United States, Thailand and Canada. This trend continues this year, with 184 arrests from Thailand related to cannabis.

The NCA also noted that some couriers had electronic trackers in their luggage, likely placed by organised criminals to monitor shipments.

This year, 196 people have already been convicted of cannabis smuggling, with sentences totaling almost 188 years.

NCA experts believe the rise in cannabis trafficking is being driven by organised crime gangs taking advantage of the legality of cannabis in countries such as Thailand, Canada and the US. They are using couriers to smuggle the drug into the UK, where it is illegal.