Nigerian Among 11 Convicted Over £13.8Million Cannabis Smuggling Plot Through UK Airport
Nigerian Among 11 Convicted Over £13.8Million Cannabis Smuggling Plot Through UK Airport
The convictions were secured following an extensive investigation by the UK National Crime Agency (NCA) after the group was arrested by Border Force officers in August 2024.
A26-year-old Nigerian, Gideon Oluwasetemi Olumoyegun, has been convicted alongside 10 other drug couriers for attempting to smuggle cannabis worth £13.8 million into the United Kingdom through Birmingham Airport in one of the country’s largest recent drug importation plots.
Olumoyegun, who lives in Dagenham, London, pleaded guilty to his role in the operation and is awaiting sentencing after investigators uncovered a sophisticated international scheme involving 460 kilograms of cannabis concealed inside 22 suitcases.
The convictions were secured following an extensive investigation by the UK National Crime Agency (NCA) after the group was arrested by Border Force officers in August 2024.
According to evidence presented at Birmingham Crown Court, the group of 11 couriers travelled from Thailand to the United Kingdom via Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport on the same flights.
Each courier carried two large suitcases, with each suitcase containing approximately 20 kilograms of vacuum-packed cannabis hidden beneath a thin layer of clothing.
In total, authorities recovered 22 suitcases containing 460 kilograms of cannabis with an estimated street value of £13.8 million.
Investigators told the court that the luggage was so heavy that the couriers were forced to pay excess baggage charges at Bangkok Airport before boarding their flights.
Authorities also discovered that eight of the suitcases contained Apple AirTag tracking devices, all linked to the same Apple ID account, suggesting the operation was centrally coordinated.
The smuggling attempt began to unravel on 9 August 2024, when Border Force officers noticed suspicious travel patterns involving multiple passengers departing Birmingham for Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport earlier that same day.
Officials discovered that four different passengers had travelled with two large suitcases each before later returning from Thailand on the same route.
The unusual travel arrangements prompted Border Force to fully staff the airport’s Nothing to Declare channel, where officers intercepted the couriers and seized all 22 suitcases filled with cannabis.
During the investigation, officers recovered messages sent to one of the couriers, including instructions that read: “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.”
Prosecutors said the messages demonstrated the high level of coordination behind the organised criminal operation.
Those convicted in the case are: Gideon Oluwasetemi Olumoyegun, 26, from Dagenham, London (Nigerian), Carsten Kyei, 21, from Newham, East London, Bradley Lloyd, 27, from Wythenshawe, Greater Manchester, Claire McCullough, 36, from Wythenshawe, Greater Manchester and Lewis Ross, 35, from Bolton, Lancashire.
Others Nathan Vitorino, 26, from Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, Ryan Boachie, 32, from Edmonton, North London, 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.
Olumoyegun, McCullough, Boachie and Clarke all pleaded guilty during earlier court hearings.
Kyei and Vitorino were found guilty on 26 May 2026 after a three-week trial, while Lloyd and Ross changed their pleas to guilty during the proceedings.
On Wednesday, 19 August 2026, Paige Crisp, Tasia Nelson and Jaden Ramen were also convicted following a four-week trial.
Those convicted on 19 August are scheduled to be sentenced on 22 October 2026, while the remaining defendants, including Olumoyegun, will be sentenced on 3 September 2026.
The convictions come as the National Crime Agency launched a new social media campaign warning young people about the dangers of smuggling cannabis from Thailand into the UK, particularly following the introduction of a tougher fines regime by the Thai government.
Paul Boniface, the NCA’s senior investigating officer, said the operation involved significant planning and international coordination.
“A huge amount of planning went into this sophisticated attempt to bring hundreds of kilos of cannabis into the UK,” Boniface said.
“The detailed coordination of flights and luggage demonstrates the lengths criminals will go to in order to hide their offending.”
He praised Border Force officers for intercepting the shipment before it entered the country.
“With thanks to Border Force, we were able to confiscate these drugs and stop criminals from benefitting financially from the damage they cause,” he added.
“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, described the case as a clear warning to anyone considering participating in drug trafficking.
“These convictions should be a stark warning to anyone considering bringing cannabis into the UK,” Chatfield said.
“The young people involved now face a serious crime on their records, damaging their job prospects and life chances.”
He added that UK authorities are strengthening cooperation with international law enforcement agencies to combat organised drug smuggling.
“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 of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said investigators successfully exposed a highly organised international drug trafficking network.
“Working with investigators, prosecutors pieced together a picture of a highly coordinated effort to smuggle industrial quantities of drugs into the country,” Norman said.
“Ultimately, this strong evidence led to six of the group pleading guilty, with the remainder convicted following a trial.”
She added that the CPS remains committed to working alongside the National Crime Agency to dismantle organised crime groups involved in international drug smuggling.
