What’s Behind Increased Cannabis Seizures At U.K. Airports? Supply, Demand And Naive Smugglers
The amount of cannabis uncovered at UK airports has tripled this year. Some 15 tons of marijuana have been seized so far in 2024, compared to five tons in 2023 and two tons in 2022, reported The Independent, citing the British National Crime Agency (NCA).
In 2023, there were 136 arrests, while this year there’s been nearly three times that number, or 378 arrests, revealed the NCA. Why is there such an increase in cannabis smuggling?
The agency suggests that other countries with legal cannabis programs have experienced overproduction and, in the U.K., the plant is still illegal, which allows for higher prices on the black market.
Biggest Seizure At Manchester Airport
In May, a Spanish citizen, Fernando Jacobo Mayans Fuster, stashed 350 pounds of cannabis into eight separate suitcases that were checked in under the names of his three children who were traveling with him. The agency said at the time that the cannabis would have had a street value of at least $1.3 million if sold in the U.K.
“This is one of the biggest cannabis seizures we have seen at Manchester Airport in recent years,” said NCA senior investigating officer Charles Lee in a press release. “The drugs would have generated significant profits. NCA officers are determined to work with our partners at Border Force to stop drug smuggling and disrupt the criminal networks behind it.”
In July, Fuster …