Two Chinese nationals in UK jailed for importing cannabis from Canada in “significant criminal enterprise”

November 20, 2024 | David Brown

Two Chinese students were jailed in the UK for their part in a conspiracy to import cannabis from Canada.

Jinshuo Dong, 24, and Jingshu Wang, 28, are said by police to have been involved in the large-scale importation of cannabis through the postal system. The two have been jailed following an investigation by specialist detectives in Leeds, England.

The two students allegedly recruited other students to receive packages of cannabis at student housing in the city.

Detectives say they were made aware of multiple packages being delivered to student’s dorms between April 26 and May 1 of this year. A Chinese male is said to have tried to collect some of the parcels but was not recognized as a resident and was refused by staff who retained the parcels. These packages were then seized by police and found to contain approximately 9 kilograms of cannabis.

Police say that two packages were addressed to a student living at the building who had previously received similar parcels. He was arrested, and through questioning, it was discovered he had been paid to receive the deliveries. He claimed not to know what was in them.

On May 2, officers arrested the two Chinese nationals, Dong and Wang, at Dong’s address in East Parade on suspicion of the improper importation of goods–controlled drug of Class B–with intent to evade the prohibition on importation.

CCTV footage, phone analysis and other evidence are said to have linked them to the offences, and both were then charged. They both pleaded guilty after initially trying to deny the charges and go to trial.

Both were sentenced to three years imprisonment at Leeds Crown Court today.

The court was also told that the UK’s Border Force had become aware of similarly-packaged parcels being sent from Canada. Authorities have intercepted 63 parcels linked to the defendants, which contained 108 kilograms of cannabis. Police say this is worth more than £1 million, or about $1.8 million Canadian.

Detective Chief Inspector Michael Herbert, who led the investigation, said: “These men were involved in what was clearly a very significant criminal enterprise importing cannabis into the UK on a huge scale.

“While we recognise that they were relatively ‘foot soldiers’ in what is obviously a much larger criminal network, they had active and significant roles in this operation that was bringing large amounts of drugs to the streets of Leeds and the sentences they have received reflect that.

“Cannabis remains a controlled drug in the UK and its illegal supply fuels other crime and anti-social behaviour in our communities. The criminal groups who trade in it at this level are invariably involved in other types of serious and organised crime and the violence that accompanies it and we will continue to work alongside our partner agencies to target those involved.”

The UK has seen a marked increase in seizures of cannabis from countries like Canada, the US, and Thailand in the last few years.

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) found approximately 40 kilograms of cannabis concealed inside the luggage of a man scheduled to fly to London, UK, on October 21.

Earlier this year, the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) seized 140 pounds of cannabis at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport destined for the UK. In January, the CBSA intercepted 310 kg of cannabis in a container exported from Canada to the UK at Montréal Marine and Rail Services.

In September, four Canadians were caught trying to bring cannabis into the UK. On October 29, 2024, CBSA officers intercepted a package containing 171.5 kg of dried cannabis being exported to Belgium at the Montréal Trudeau airport.