93 Malaysians among 378 arrested for travelling to UK with cannabis

According to the British High Commission, about half of those caught were carrying cannabis that originally came from Thailand. (Photo Wikimedia Commons)

PETALING JAYA: Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) has warned travellers they could face jail sentences if caught smuggling cannabis into the country, following a huge increase in the number of arrests.

According to the British High Commissioner in Kuala Lumpur, 378 people have been arrested this year alone in connection with investigations into cannabis smuggling by airline passengers, including 93 Malaysians.

“An estimated 15 tonnes of cannabis were found and seized at UK airports during the same period – already around three times more than in the whole of 2023, when around five tonnes of cannabis were seized and 136 people were arrested.

“Approximately half of all arrests (184) this year involved cannabis originating from Thailand, while 75 arrests involved cannabis originating from Canada and 47 involved cannabis originating from the US,” a statement said.

According to the NCA, those caught said recruiters had told them they would only face a fine if they were caught.

“The maximum penalty for importing cannabis into the UK is up to 14 years in prison. This year, 196 people have already been convicted and given sentences totalling almost 188 years,” a separate statement said yesterday.

“On 9 August, a total of 11 British passengers were arrested at Birmingham Airport after 510kg of cannabis was found in 28 suitcases. All passengers had travelled from Thailand and were connecting at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport,” the report said/

The agency said the cases were linked. In some cases, officers found electronic trackers with drugs, believed to have been placed at the source by organized criminals so they could track the illegal cargo.

According to NCA experts, the trend is being fuelled by organised crime gangs who have access to cannabis grown abroad in places where it is legal. They are recruiting couriers to transport the cannabis to the UK, where they can make a higher profit than if they were to grow the drugs themselves.

“In some cases it is unclear whether the mules knew what the possible punishments were, but in most cases they were operating on behalf of organised criminal gangs.

“It is these couriers who are at risk of potentially life-changing prison sentences,” said James Babbage, the NCA’s director general for threats.

He said gangs could make significant profits from selling and smuggling high-quality cannabis grown legally in the US, Canada and Thailand into the UK.