A Devon woman has admitted attempting to smuggle more than 51kg of cannabis worth an estimated £512,000 into the UK after arriving at Heathrow Airport from Thailand. Jayne Durban, 45, of Hemyock, near Cullompton, pleaded guilty to smuggling Class B drugs when she appeared at Isleworth Crown Court on Thursday, August 6. The National Crime Agency said Durban was stopped by Border Force officers at Heathrow on July 6 after arriving on a flight from Bangkok. Officers searched two suitcases she was carrying and discovered 51.2kg of cannabis. The drugs were estimated to have a street value of at least £512,000.
Durban remanded in custody
Durban appeared before Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court following her arrest in July and was remanded in custody. She subsequently admitted the smuggling offence at Isleworth Crown Court and will return to the same court to be sentenced on October 14. The case comes amid warnings from the NCA about a significant increase in the number of people attempting to bring cannabis into Britain aboard commercial flights.
Hundreds of cannabis couriers caught at UK airports
According to the agency, 142 cannabis smugglers were caught arriving in the UK by air during 2023. That figure increased sharply to 801 in 2024 and 976 in 2025. During the first six months of 2026 alone, the NCA said around 600 air passenger couriers had been arrested at UK airports. Organised crime groups are increasingly using social media to recruit couriers, according to investigators, with some people offered free holidays and spending money in exchange for transporting cannabis into Britain.
NCA warns potential drug couriers
Mark Abbott, a senior investigating officer with the NCA, warned of the potentially life-changing consequences for those recruited by criminal groups. He 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 launched a social media campaign aimed at warning potential couriers about the consequences of transporting drugs for organised crime groups. The campaign is running across TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube and directs people towards Crimestoppers for further information and anonymous reporting. Durban remains due to be sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court on October 14.
