Man caught near Carlisle with £1m cannabis cargo jailed for 38 months

A man caught transporting cannabis worth almost £1 million in Cumbria has been jailed. 

Zygimantas Viktorians, a 42-year-old self-employed builder from East London, was stopped by police driving a Renault Kangoo van on the M6 north of Carlisle at around 3:00pm on Wednesday 21 December.

A police constable approached the vehicle and noticed Viktorians was bleeding from a cut to his hand.

“The officer observed a mobile phone that was smashed and snapped in the front passenger footwell,” prosecutor Tim Evans told Carlisle Crown Court on Friday 20 January.

“This was plainly an attempt to destroy the phone, the defendant knowing better than anyone else that it likely contained incriminating material to do with his drug supply activities.”

Police searched the van and located 17 black bin liners.

Inside were vacuum sealed packages containing cannabis with a total weight of 89kg — worth up to £890,000.

Several mobile phones and £320 in cash was recovered.

“The defendant falsely claimed he was travelling from London and going to Scotland to deliver some wheels,” said Mr Evans. A sat-nav showed a destination of Loch Ryan, near Stranraer.

Automatic number plate recognition evidence showed the Renault van had made two earlier trips to the same location, on 25 November and 9 December.

In court, Viktorians admitted possessing cannabis with intent to supply.

Jeff Smith, giving mitigation, said the married Lithuanian national had lived in the UK for nine years. The van belonged to someone else and the defendant insisted he had only made one trip — on the day he was caught.

“He argues that he occupied only a lesser role, instructing me that he has no further involvement other than conveying this cannabis on one occasion,” said Mr Smith.

“He understands that custody is inevitable. He is aware that the probable consequence of custody is going to be the removal from the country.”

Judge Nicholas Barker imposed a 38-month jail term. Viktorians must serve a two-year driving ban when released due to him being behind the wheel when committing the offence.

“This was a very significant delivery of cannabis,” Judge Barker said.

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