Drugs courier caught trying to sneak 15 kilos of cannabis into the country at Newcastle Airport
by Rob Kennedy · ChronicleLiveA drugs courier was caught trying to sneak a suitcase "cram packed" with cannabis through customs at Newcastle Airport.
Cheng Chain arrived in the city on a flight from Dubai, on a Malaysian passport, on July 7. A Border Force officer raised concerns about the short time he had spent in Thailand and inconsistencies about his plans while in the UK.
Newcastle Crown Court heard he was stopped from passing through customs and his suitcase was searched and found to contain 15.36 kilos of cannabis in 28 sealed packages.
Chain initially tried to claim the suitcase was not his. He was found to have a hotel booking in Newcastle and £200 and 2,000 Thai Baht. He later admitted that he was due to be paid 10,000 Thai Baht upon delivery of the drugs.
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He pleaded guilty to the fraudulent evasion on the prohibition on the importation of cannabis and was jailed for eight months. Mr Recorder Wheeler said Chain's suitcase had been "cram packed full of illegal drugs" and said they would have taken up most of his allowed luggage weight for the flight.
Tony Davis, defending, said: "It was plainly an offence committed out of financial necessity. He took the risk to help with payments on his mortgage and car loan in Malaysia.
"This was a hugely unsophisticated attempt at importation. He knows he will be deported back to Malaysia on completion of the appropriate sentence."
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