A cannabis smuggler caught at Birmingham Airport has avoided jail after being recognised as a modern slavery victim. Joshua Galland, 33, from Warwickshire, was intercepted by Border Force officials on January 24 after returning from Thailand with 16 packages of cannabis in his suitcase.
Court Hearing Details
Birmingham Crown Court heard that the neurodivergent man had been exploited and was formally classified as a victim of modern slavery through the National Referral Mechanism. Defence barrister Ashanti-Jade Walton told the court: "This is an individual who found himself in a difficult situation, pressured by others and subjected to threats and flew to Thailand because he was scared."
The court heard Galland had accumulated severe debt through cannabis use and was targeted due to his vulnerabilities, including health problems requiring lung surgery.
Sentence and Outcome
Galland pleaded guilty to fraudulent evasion of the prohibition on importing cannabis and received an 18-month community order with rehabilitation activities and 200 hours of unpaid work. The case highlights the issue of modern slavery and the exploitation of vulnerable individuals in drug smuggling operations.
