00:0011 couriers arrived at Birmingham Airport in August 2024 carrying cannabis from Thailand through Paris.
00:09Border Force officers discovered the Class B drug packed beneath clothing in 22 suitcases.
00:16Each traveller had two cases containing about 20 kilos of vacuum packed cannabis inside.
00:22Altogether, officers seized 460 kilos with an estimated street value of £13.8 million.
00:31Investigators say some couriers had paid excess baggage charges in Bangkok because their luggage was so heavy.
00:39Eight suitcases also contained Apple AirTags linked to the same shared account.
00:44The National Crime Agency says messages show one courier being told not to leave the airport until a contact had
00:51gone.
00:52Border Force had staffed the Nothing To Declare Channel after linking earlier seizures to passengers arriving on connecting flights into
01:01Birmingham from Paris.
01:03Four members have now been sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court.
01:07Carsten Kye and Northen Vittorino were each jailed for two years and eight months.
01:13Lewis Ross received the same sentence, while Bradley Lord was jailed for four years after changing his plea.
01:20Border Force officials say the convictions should deter others from considering similar smuggling attempts.
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