Tag: UK

Three men who were part of a plan to bring millions of pounds worth of cannabis from Canada in Britain, hidden in mattresses, have been jailed for a total of nearly 20 years.

The cannabis arrived in Liverpool from Canada in January 2024. Eight bed frames were found to contain 668 sealed packages of cannabis weighing a total of 334kg, according to the UK’s Crown Prosecution Services.

The three men, Weiji Chen, 29, and John Kinsella, both of Liverpool, had previously pleaded guilty to the offences of importing and supplying cannabis between September 2023 and 16 January 2024. Luke Kinsella, John’s younger brother, 23, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cannabis. 

Authorities say Chen was responsible for arranging for the cannabis to be imported into the UK from Canada. John Kinsella was one of Chen’s regular customers who wanted some of the imported cannabis to supply it to others. Luke Kinsella was also involved with unloading the imported cannabis.

Chen and John Kinsella first began smaller test runs of importing cannabis from Canada into the UK using the postal service, the court heard.

The conspiracy started in September 2023 when a number of ‘test runs’ were undertaken, arranged by Chen and John Kinsella, prior to the larger January importation. These importations were of a much smaller scale and were sent direct from Canada into the UK using the postal service.

Senior Crown Prosecutor Olivia Cristinacce-Travis, from the complex casework unit of CPS Mersey-Cheshire, said: “Over a few months, Weiji Chen and John Kinsella were involved in the importation of cannabis into Liverpool docks on an industrial scale, valued at over £2 million.

“The two men and Luke Kinsella had planned on supplying high-strain cannabis across the North West region. Due to the sophisticated nature of the importation, this was a complex prosecution in which the CPS successfully worked with Cheshire Constabulary to build a strong case against each of the men, who all entered guilty pleas and have now been jailed for a total of 17 and a half years.”

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Four Canadians were among 11 people caught trying to smuggle cannabis into the UK over the weekend of September 21 and 22. 

In recent months, the UK has seen a marked increase in seizures of cannabis from countries like Canada, the US, and Thailand.

More than half of those arrested in 2023 (71) had flown in from US airports, while 24 came from Canada and another 24 from Thailand. Around half of all arrests (184) so far in 2024 related to cannabis that originated in Thailand, while 75 arrests related to cannabis originating from Canada and 47 to cannabis from the US.

The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) reported that eleven people were charged with attempting to smuggle more than 300 kilos of cannabis into the UK via Heathrow and Gatwick airports over the course of those two days. All eleven people were charged with smuggling class B drugs.

A Class B felony in the UK can receive a sentence of up to five years in prison for possession, an unlimited fine, or both. The maximum penalty for supply and production can be up to 14 years in prison, an unlimited fine, or both.

A 22-year-old Canadian woman, Raekelle Powell, a professional volleyball player on a flight from Toronto, was stopped after officers discovered approximately 19 kilos of cannabis in suitcases. 

Canadian nationals Christopher Duffell, 44, and Tania Fetherston, 51, who arrived on a flight from Toronto via Copenhagen, were arrested after 30.7 kilograms and 34.7 kilograms of cannabis were found in luggage.

A 29-year-old Canadian national, Malik Barrett, who had also arrived on a flight from Toronto on Sunday, September 22 was arrested after a bag with 20 kilograms of cannabis was seized. 

UK authorities say that the increase in these kinds of seizures is fuelled by organized crime gangs “who have access to cannabis grown overseas, in locations where it is legal, who are recruiting couriers to transport it to the UK where it can generate greater profit for them than growing the drugs themselves.”

“The NCA continues to warn people attempting to smuggle huge quantities of cannabis into the country,” says NCA Branch Commander Andy Noyes. “The gangs behind the trafficking of cannabis into the UK do not care that the couriers will likely be arrested and end up in prison – their sole purpose is to make money.”

Seizures of cannabis leaving Canada are not uncommon. 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.

The CBSA reports seizing more than 23,553,038 grams of cannabis products in fiscal year 2023-2024 and 126,210 grams of hash. 

The amount of such seizures has increased significantly in the past six years. In 2022, a Canadian was caught with cannabis worth almost £300,000 in his luggage after landing at Aberdeen International Airport.