Scot arrested after smugglers caught with £600,000 worth of cannabis at Stanstead airport

A man from Inverclyde has been arrested on suspicion of orchestrating the attempted importation of cannabis worth £600,000 through a London airport from Bangkok.

Two women, aged 28 and 32, were arrested at Stansted Airport on Monday, September 2, after Border Force officers discovered around 60kg of the class A drug in two suitcases, which had arrived on a flight from Bangkok.

Both were charged with drug importation offences, and will appear at Chelmsford Crown Court on October 1.

At around 8am on Wednesday, in an operation carried out by the National Crime Agency officers supported by Police Scotland, a 33-year-old man was arrested in connection with the incident in Gourock.

A 33-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the attempted operation. Police Scotland

He has been taken to Carlisle to be questioned.

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.

“We would appeal to anyone who is approached to engage in any kind of smuggling to think very carefully about the likely consequences of their actions, and the potentially life-changing risks they will be taking.”

It comes after officials reported in August that the amount of cannabis found in suitcases at UK airports has tripled in under a year.

Reports suggest couriers are being paid up to £10,000 per trip, but they are falsely told they will only face a fine if caught.

In reality, the maximum penalty for cannabis importation in the UK is 14 years in prison.