A man has been charged with drug smuggling offences by the National Crime Agency after five suitcases packed with cannabis were found at Heathrow Airport.
Nathaniel Benson, 45, from Leeds, arrived into the airport on Wednesday 18 September, having flown from Bangkok in Thailand.
He was arrested after Border Force officers located 160 packages in the suitcases. His two children were travelling with him, and one bag had been checked in under one of their names.
In total more than 100 kilos of cannabis was recovered, which would have had a street value of around £1 million if sold on the streets in the UK. After being interviewed by NCA investigators Benson was charged with importing class B drugs.
He was due to appear before Uxbridge Magistrates Court today (20 September). A 41-year-old woman from Harrogate, who was travelling with him, was also arrested but later bailed.
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. This includes both the couriers and the organised criminals behind importations like this one.
“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.”
Chris Mitchell is the founder and editor of Harrow Online, Harrow’s leading local news platform.
He launched Harrow Online in 2010 as a Facebook page sharing local news and information. Since then, it has grown into a trusted source for breaking news, crime, council decisions, planning, transport, business and community stories across the borough.
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