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Two Birmingham Passengers Sentenced After 62.8kg Cannabis Seized on Thailand Flight

The judge highlighted a surge in passenger‑courier cases, saying recruiters exploit financial vulnerability.

Overview

  • Border Force officers at Manchester Airport intercepted Leon Coley, 30, and Gemma Edgar, 35, minutes apart on September 25 after a trip from Thailand via Dubai.
  • Searches found 32.9kg of cannabis in Coley’s luggage and 29.9kg in Edgar’s, for a combined total of 62.8kg concealed in checked bags.
  • Both pleaded guilty at Manchester Crown Court to fraudulently evading the importation of a Class B drug.
  • Coley received one year and 10 months in prison, while Edgar was given a one year and four month sentence suspended for two years with rehabilitation days.
  • Court accounts cited a social‑media advert linked to Coley’s recruitment, Edgar’s reported £35,000 poker debts and mental‑health diagnosis, a ‘Get out quick’ text on Coley’s phone, and 680 arrests nationwide for similar offences this year.