Eleven people have been convicted for attempting to smuggle £13.8 million worth of cannabis through Birmingham Airport, following a sophisticated plot that involved couriers paying for excess baggage to transport 460 kilos of the drug.
How the smuggling operation was uncovered
Border Force officers at Birmingham Airport seized the drugs in August 2024 after four passengers raised suspicions by flying from Birmingham to Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris earlier that same day, on August 9, 2024. The gang had flown from Thailand via Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport before attempting to bring the cannabis through Birmingham Airport.
Birmingham Crown Court heard that each courier carried two suitcases, both packed with 20 kilos of cannabis, totalling 460 kilos. The couriers had to pay an excess charge at Bangkok Airport to place the heavy suitcases in the hold. Each case contained a thin layer of clothing covering the cannabis, and eight of them contained Apple Air Tag trackers.
National Crime Agency (NCA) investigators later connected the trackers to the same Apple ID account.
The convicted gang members
The group of 11 individuals have all been convicted of drug offences. They are: Carsten Kyei, 21, from Newham, East London; Bradley Lloyd, 27, and Claire McCullough, 36, both from Wythenshawe, Greater Manchester; Lewis Ross, 35, from Bolton, Lancashire; Nathan Vitorino, 26, from Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire; Ryan Boachie, 32, from Edmonton, North London; Gideon Oluwasetemi Olumoyegun, 26, from Dagenham; Tasia Nelson, 22, from Newquay, Cornwall; Jaden Ramen, 23, from Colliers Wood, South London; Paige Crisp, 24, from Broomhall, Worcester, and Jamal Clarke, 22, from Walthamstow, London.
Kyei and Vitorino were convicted on May 26, 2026, following a three-week trial, while Ross and Lloyd changed their pleas to guilty during that trial. Crisp, Nelson and Ramen were convicted on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, following a four-week trial. McCullough, Boachie, Olumoyegun and Clarke all pleaded guilty at previous hearings.
Court details and sentencing
The court heard how one courier was told: "My man gonna be on the other side – don’t leave the airport until you see him leave. Even if your bags are there just let them go round on the belt, go toilet etc. etc." Those convicted on August 19 will be sentenced on October 22, while the others will be sentenced on September 3.
NCA senior investigating officer Paul Boniface said: "A huge amount of planning went into this sophisticated attempt to bring hundreds of kilos of cannabis into the UK. The detailed coordinated of flights and luggage demonstrates the lengths criminals will go to in order to hide their offending. With thanks to Border Force, we were able confiscate these drugs and stop criminals from benefiting financially from the damage they cause. Anyone who is approached to smuggle drugs into the UK should take this as a sign; you will not succeed, and if you try, you will face justice."
Adam Chatfield, Head of Border Force Midlands Command, added: "These convictions should be a stark warning to anyone considering bringing cannabis into the UK. The young people involved now face a serious crime on their records, damaging their job prospects and life chances. More than ever, we are working closely with law enforcement partners in the UK and overseas to combat drug smuggling, keep our communities safe and our borders secure."
Victoria Norman from the Crown Prosecution Service said: "Working with investigators, prosecutors pieced together a picture of a highly coordinated effort to smuggle industrial quantities of drugs into the country. Ultimately, this strong evidence led to six of the group pleading guilty, with the remainder convicted following a trial. The CPS is committed to working with the NCA to tackle organised crime and ensure that those involved with drug smuggling are brought to justice."
