Father, 45, caught smuggling £1m cannabis in suitcases at Heathrow Airport after flying with children from Bangkok
21 September 2024, 21:40
A man accused of attempting to import £1 million worth of cannabis into the UK while travelling with his children has been charged with drug smuggling offences.
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Nathaniel Benson, 45, flew into Heathrow Airport from Bangkok, Thailand, on Wednesday and was arrested after Border Force officers allegedly located 160 packages of cannabis in five suitcases.
Benson's two children were travelling with him, and one bag had allegedly been checked in under one of their names, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said.
In total, more than 100kgs of cannabis were allegedly recovered, which would have had a street value in the UK of about £1 million.
After being interviewed by investigators from the NCA, Benson was charged with importing class B drugs.
Benson, from Leeds, West Yorkshire, appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court on Friday and was remanded into custody to appear at Isleworth Crown Court on October 24.
A 41-year-old woman from Harrogate, North Yorkshire, who was travelling with Benson, was also arrested but later bailed, the NCA said.
NCA senior investigating officer Ian Truby said: "Working with our partners in Border Force, we continue to clamp down on anyone involved in drugs smuggling.
"I would urge anyone who is approached to carry out such smuggling attempts to seriously think about the consequences of their actions, which will include a prison sentence if caught and convicted."
In August, the NCA warned travellers arriving into the UK from Thailand, Canada and the US that they face jail sentences if caught attempting to bring cannabis into the country, after an upsurge in arrests.
The NCA has reported that the amount of cannabis seized so far in 2024 is already more than three times more than in the whole of 2023.
The law enforcement agency said people travelling with drugs as couriers reported being told by their recruiters that they were only risking a fine if caught.
However, the maximum sentence for cannabis importation in the UK is up to 14 years in prison, the NCA said.
