Devon woman jailed for 25 months for smuggling cannabis from Thailand
The National Crime Agency says the drugs had a street value of at least £512,000
A 45-year-old woman from Hemyock in Devon has been jailed for 25 months after admitting smuggling 51.2kg of cannabis from Thailand on a flight to the UK.
Amy Jayne Durban, of Hemyock, Cullompton, Devon, was arrested by Border Force officers at Heathrow Airport on 6th July, having arrived from Bangkok.
The National Crime Agency (NCA), which led the investigation, said her two suitcases contained cannabis with a street value of at least £512,000.
In August, Durban pleaded guilty to smuggling Class B drugs at Isleworth Crown Court.
She returned to court on Wednesday 14th October and was jailed for 25 months.
Rise in cannabis couriers
The NCA said demand for cannabis in the UK has led to a sharp rise in the number of couriers trying to smuggle it into the country.
It said couriers are usually approached on social media by organised crime groups.
They are offered a free holiday and spending money in exchange for bringing cannabis home, where other criminals take the drugs from them and move them on.
According to NCA figures, 142 cannabis smugglers were caught arriving in the UK by plane in 2023.
That rose to 801 in 2024, an increase of 464%.
The figure rose again to 976 in 2025.
The NCA said 600 air passenger couriers were arrested at UK airports in the first six months of 2026 alone.
Thailand crackdown
The NCA said Durban's sentencing comes after it and partners in Thailand recently announced a new crackdown in the country.
People caught trying to smuggle cannabis in Thailand now face fines of around £680 per kg.
The NCA said the average smuggler is caught in Thailand with 26kg, which would mean a fine of £17,680.
If the fine isn't paid, the smuggler can be jailed in Thailand for up to two years.
NCA warning
Mark Abbott, NCA senior investigating officer, said: "There are really bad outcomes at home and abroad when couriers are caught smuggling cannabis. As well as time in prison, a life-changing conviction will damage future career and travel prospects."
"People should understand that these crime groups use profits from cannabis smuggling to fund the trafficking of other drugs too. All of those drugs fuel wider crime in our communities and have a toxic effect on people's lives."
The NCA has also launched a new social media campaign warning young people that smuggling cannabis from Thailand to the UK could land them in a foreign jail.
The films will run across TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube.
They will direct viewers to Crimestoppers at www.druggage.co.uk , where people can learn about the dangers of carrying drugs for crime gangs and how to report it anonymously if they have been approached.