Scotland arrest over £600,000 Stansted Airport drugs haul

Two suitcases were intercepted with 60kg of cannabis at Stansted Airport

A man in Scotland has been arrested on suspicion of attempting to import £600,000 of cannabis from Thailand through Stansted Airport.

The 33-year-old was arrested by National Crime Agency (NCA) officers in Gourock, Inverclyde, after an investigation supported by Police Scotland.

The NCA said the drugs were smuggled through the London airport on 2 September and two women, aged 28 and 32, were arrested.

Border Force officers found about 60kg of cannabis in two suitcases which had arrived on a flight from Bangkok.

The man from Gourock was taken to Carlisle for questioning.

The women appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court and were bailed to appear before Chelmsford Crown Court on October 1.

NCA senior investigating officer David Phillips said: "The NCA continues to work with partners like Border Force to target those involved in drug smuggling - that includes both the couriers and the organisers."

The agency said the amount of cannabis seized at UK airports so far this year is more than three times that in 2023.

The maximum sentence for smuggling cannabis into the UK is 14 years in jail.