WIREDGOV

An Irish woman has been charged with drugs offences after more than £950,000 worth of cannabis was seized at Belfast City Airport.

Stella Doyle-Daly, 18, from Hanover Street, Dublin, was arrested by National Crime Agency officers after she was stopped at the airport on Tuesday.

She had travelled from Thailand via Doha and Heathrow airport. A search of two suitcases by Border Force officers found almost 48 kilos of cannabis.

The drugs would be worth an estimated £956,000 at street level.

Doyle-Daly was interviewed by NCA officers recently and charged with drugs importation offences.

She appeared at Laganside Magistrates Court yesterday and was remanded in custody until a bail hearing on Tuesday.

NCA Belfast Branch Commander David Cunningham yesterday said:

"The NCA continues in our work to prevent drugs from reaching the streets of Northern Ireland. We will pursue the organised crime groups behind importations and the couriers paid to transport the drugs across the border.

"The gangs behind these smuggling attempts are only interested in making money. Their couriers, who are likely to be arrested and prosecuted, are expendable.

"We would appeal to those thinking of getting involved drug smuggling on behalf of these gangs to think about the consequences of their actions – you will be identified and prosecuted."

In August, the NCA issued a warning to travellers arriving into the UK from Thailand, Canada and the USA that they face jail sentences if caught attempting to smuggle cannabis into the country. However, arrests are still being made and the amount of cannabis seized in the UK so far in 2024 is three times more than the whole of 2023.

The increase in these seizures is fuelled by organised 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.

People travelling with drugs as couriers reported being told by their recruiters that they were only risking a fine if caught. However, the maximum sentence for cannabis importation in the UK is up to 14 years in prison.

Just recently (25 September) two Malaysian nationals were jailed for 20 months after being caught smuggling 37kg of Cannabis in their luggage in April of this year, having travelled to Edinburgh from Thailand.