Glamorous drug smuggling friends found guilty of bringing cannabis to UK - after New York 'shopping trip'

3 April 2025, 10:51 | Updated: 3 April 2025, 11:20

Two friends who were caught smuggling drugs to the UK after a "shopping trip" to New York have been convicted.

Sophie Bannister and Levi-April Whalley, both from Blackburn, were stopped with more than 35kg of cannabis in their suitcases at Birmingham Airport.

Officers found 34 heat-sealed packages containing 16.5kg of cannabis in Bannister's case and a further 39 packages containing 19kg of cannabis in Whalley's bag.

On Wednesday, sitting side by side in the dock, the women held hands and sobbed at Preston Crown Court heard how they had attempted to bring in the drugs. They both pleaded guilty to fraudulent evasion of a prohibition.

In December 2023, the pair told Border Force officials they had been on a three-day shopping trip to New York.

However, text messages between them showed they planned to make a lot of money from importing the drugs.

The drugs in Bannister's case had an estimated street value of £40,500 and Whalley's were estimated at £121,500.

Whalley, a nurse who has since been suspended from practice, told officials she believed the packages instead contained watches.

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'Significant financial advantage'

Judge Richard Archer, sentencing, said: "You were both aware that having travelled from New York to Birmingham via Paris that you had in your respective suitcases a significant quantity of heat-sealed bags, containing 35.5kg of cannabis.

"This was not your cannabis but cannabis you were carrying on behalf of another, but you were expecting significant financial advantage for doing what you did.

"You discussed it in relation to this particular trip to New York, with a clear view of the money you were going to make from behaving this way.

"You perhaps had little regard to the seriousness or consequences of your offending.

"It must have been in the back of your mind that you would be caught but you probably thought very little about sitting in the dock this afternoon.

"I very much hope that you don't involve yourselves in this behaviour again."

Bannister, now of Cotton Lane, Manchester, was sentenced to 20 months suspended for 18 months, with 30 days rehabilitation activities and 200 hours of unpaid work.

Whalley, of Livesey Branch Road, Blackburn, was handed a 16-month sentence suspended for 18 months, with 10 days rehabilitation and 80 hours of unpaid work.