Birmingham strangers found with 60kg of drugs – key details

They were returning from Thailand via Dubai

Birmingham drug runners found 80 miles away – and were strangers

Seperate drug smuggling plot: Two Birmingham residents, Leon Coley (30) and Gemma Edgar (35), were separately caught on the same flight carrying massive amounts of cannabis. They were returning from Thailand via Dubai, intercepted just ten minutes apart by Border Force officers at Manchester Airport.

Quantity and Method: The two couriers were carrying a combined total of over 60kg of cannabis , which was concealed in their luggage. The operation was part of a “huge” organised crime racket that smuggled drugs into the UK using a front company that disguised the Class B drug within pomegranate juice from Afghanistan.

Motivations for crime: Coley, a warehouse operative, admitted to taking part after answering a social media advert for money, intending to use the proceeds to provide for his family. Edgar claimed she was coerced into transporting the drugs to pay off accumulated poker debts of around £35,000 in Bangkok.

The sentencing outcome: Both Coley and Edgar pleaded guilty to fraudulently evading the importation of a Class B drug. Coley was given a prison sentence of a year and 10 months, while Edgar was handed a lighter sentence, which was suspended due to her mental health issues .

Judge’s reasoning: The Recorder of Manchester emphasised a “high requirement for deterrence” for drug importation, which would typically result in prison sentences. However, the judge decided against incarceration for Edgar due to her diagnosed emotionally unstable personality disorder .

Organiser’s tactics: The court was told the organisers of the scheme were brazen enough to advertise on social media and that they “prey on people with financial difficulties” to recruit couriers. Coley was instructed to meet someone in Birmingham city centre for the handover, and Edgar faced intimidation from those she owed money to.