300kg of cannabis seized at two major London airports

Eleven people, including a Canadian professional volleyball player, have been charged with attempting to smuggle more than 300 kilos of cannabis into the UK through Heathrow and Gatwick airports.

Officials seized the drugs after arresting the suspects on Saturday and Sunday.

It follows recent warnings from the National Crime Agency (NCA) over the amount of cannabis being seized in luggage at UK airports - it says this figure has tripled in less than a year.In August the NCA revealed that so far in 2024 around 15 tonnes of the drug had been uncovered at airports, compared to five tonnes throughout the whole of 2023, and two tonnes in 2022.Nine people accused of smuggling class B drugs appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court on Monday and Tuesday.

They will next appear at Isleworth Crown Court on October 24.Another two defendants appeared before Croydon magistrates on Tuesday, and will appear at Croydon Crown Court on October 21 and 28 respectively.The NCA believes the increase in the amount of cannabis being seized is due to overproduction in countries where is is legal.Between September 14 and 20 a total of 17 people were arrested and charged with trying to bring a total of around 618kg of cannabis into the UK.

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