by Adrian Humphreys
LONDON – Raekelle Powell, a former professional volleyball player for Canada’s national team, was sentenced last week to 15 months in prison for attempting to smuggle 19 kilograms of cannabis into the United Kingdom. Powell, 22, was caught at London’s Heathrow Airport on September 20 after arriving on a flight from Toronto with a suitcase filled with vacuum-sealed cannabis.
According to the U.K. National Crime Agency, Powell admitted to being paid $300 to carry the suitcase, which contained drugs with an estimated street value of over one million dollars. She quickly pleaded guilty in court, and last week Isleworth Crown Court sentenced her to 15 months behind bars.
Powell, a Toronto native who attended high school in Brampton, is known for her volleyball career. She played as an outside hitter and was part of Canada’s under-19 team that won a silver medal at the 2018 NORCECA Championship, defeating Cuba and finishing second to the United States.
Powell’s arrest was part of a larger smuggling operation at London’s airports. Over the course of two days, 11 people were charged with attempting to smuggle 300 kilos of cannabis into the UK through Heathrow and Gatwick airports. Two other Canadians, Christopher Duffell, 44, and Tania Fetherston, 51, were also arrested in a separate incident, attempting to smuggle a combined 65 kilos of cannabis.
British authorities have warned travelers, especially young people, about the dangers of carrying suitcases they didn’t pack, as organized crime groups are using couriers to smuggle cannabis into countries where it is illegal. Cannabis smuggling from Canada, the U.S., and Thailand has become a troubling trend, with authorities seizing three times as much cannabis in 2024 compared to all of 2023.
Piers Phillips, a senior officer with the National Crime Agency, issued a stark warning to those considering smuggling drugs into the UK, emphasizing that those caught would face arrest and imprisonment. He noted that the criminal groups behind the smuggling operations have little concern for the couriers they exploit, focusing solely on maximizing their profits.
The case follows a broader pattern of drug smuggling attempts and highlights the increasing role of organized crime in trafficking illegal substances across borders. This comes amid another high-profile case involving Canadian athlete Ryan Wedding, who is implicated in running a massive cocaine trafficking operation.
Raekelle Powell’s case serves as a cautionary tale of how involvement in international drug trafficking can derail careers and lives, even for those with promising athletic futures.