two drug couriers from Birmingham were caught carrying over 60kg of cannabis on the same flight into the UK, despite having no connection to each other.
Leon Coley, 30, and Gemma Edgar, 35, were stopped by Manchester Airport Border Force officers on 25 September as they returned from Thailand via Dubai. Coley had two medium suitcases containing 32.9kg of cannabis, while Edgar carried a large suitcase and a small bag totaling 29.9kg.
Coley told officers hotel staff had packed his luggage and claimed he did not know it contained drugs. A message on his phone reading “Get out quick” had been received just before his arrest. Edgar said she had accrued £35,000 in poker debts in Bangkok and was pressured to carry the drugs as repayment.
Both admitted to fraudulently evading the importation of a Class B drug. Coley was sentenced to 1 year and 10 months in prison, while Edgar received a suspended sentence of 1 year and 4 months due to mental health issues, including emotionally unstable personality disorder.
Recorder of Manchester Judge Nicholas Dean KC stressed the need for deterrence, noting that drug importation offenses are increasingly common and often exploit vulnerable individuals with financial difficulties.
Coley, a warehouse operative, said he intended to use the proceeds to support his family. Edgar expressed remorse, accepting full responsibility for her actions. This year alone, there have been 680 arrests for similar offenses across the UK.
