Man jailed after drugs found in suitcases at Prestwick Airport

James Woods played "the leading role" in smuggling the cannabis

A drug smuggler has been jailed for three years after he and his brother were caught with £200,000 worth of cannabis at Prestwick Airport.

James Woods, 26, and his brother Jack Goldsmith, 25, were detained on 11 January after they flew to Scotland from Malaga in Spain.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard the brothers, from Hastings in Sussex, had collected two suitcases containing 18kg of the drug.

Both admitted the charges against them.

Woods had been charged with being concerned in smuggling the Class B drug and being concerned in the supply of cannabis.

Goldsmith admitted the charge of being concerned in smuggling.

Judge Lady Scott told Woods, who had previous convictions, that he had played "the leading role" in the plan.

She said his sentence would have been four years had it not been for his guilty plea.

The cannabis was found in two suitcases

She ordered Goldsmith, a first offender, to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work under a community payback order.

The judge told him: "It is clear you got involved because of your brother asking you for help."

The court was told Woods flew from London to Faro in Portugal on 5 January, before travelling to Spain.

Goldsmith flew from London to Malaga without luggage on a flight arranged by his brother, the day before they travelled together to Prestwick.

Defence counsel Tony Lenehan, representing Woods, said the smuggling attempt "was not sophisticated in its planning or conduct".

The National Crime Agency (NCA) said it was determined to work to prevent drug smuggling.

It estimated the cannabis found at Prestwick Airport was worth £200,000.

John McGowan, NCA operations manager for Scotland, said: "These brothers were involved in an attempt to bring a substantial quantity of illegal drugs into the UK through Prestwick, and it is clear from what we have established that they had connections with criminal groups in the UK and Europe.

"Working with our colleagues at Border Force we are determined to disrupt and dismantle the networks involved in this type of criminality."