Three US nationals tried to smuggle cannabis worth more than £1.7 million into the UK in their baggage when they flew from LA to Heathrow Airport.
Barrington Walters, 24, from Los Angeles, and Mandy Silowka, 34, from Princeton, New Jersey, were caught with a total of nearly 60 kilos -9.45st- of marijuana.
Border Force officers found 33 kilos of herbal cannabis in bags belonging to Walters and another 26.5 kilos in suitcases checked in by Silowka when they landed on flights from LAX.
Both were stopped after arriving on the same United Airlines flight from Los Angeles on January, 17, police said.
Investigators estimate the total amount of all the cannabis found in their luggage had a combined street value of over £1.7 million.
Barrington Walters, 24, from Los Angeles, and Mandy Silowka, 34, from Princeton, New Jersey, were caught with a total of nearly 60 kilos -9.45st- of marijuana on January, 17 and Kiara Lanee Malone, 31, from St Louis, Missouri, was also arrested after also arriving at Heathrow Airport from California with 27.5 kilos of cannabis in her luggage on January, 10
Investigators estimate the total amount of all the cannabis found in their luggage belonging to Walters and Silowka had a combined street value of over £1.7 million
Kiara Lanee Malone, 31, from St Louis, Missouri, was also arrested after also arriving at Heathrow Airport from California with 27.5 kilos of cannabis in her luggage on January 10.
Malone claimed she was travelling to the UK to have cosmetic procedures and said she was given the bags to bring to the UK by someone else, but believed they only had clothes inside.
The convictions follow a string of arrests involving seizures made from flights from the US.
Cannabis grown legally in parts of America can attract a premium price in the UK.
Experts said cannabis from California, where it can be grown legally, can fetch a much higher price by selling to gangs in the UK.
At Isleworth Crown Court yesterday, Silowka was jailed for a year and Walters was handed a 10-month prison term. Both pleaded guilty during an earlier hearing.
At Isleworth Crown Court yesterday, Silowka was jailed for a year and Walters was handed a 10-month prison term
Malone claimed she was travelling to the UK to have cosmetic procedures and was given the bags by someone else
Cannabis grown legally in parts of America can attract a premium price in the UK
Malone also admitted the offence at the same court today and was remanded in custody to be sentenced next month.
NCA Heathrow branch commander, Andy Noyes, said: 'These cases serve as further warnings to those who think they can get away with smuggling drugs into the UK.
'No matter what you might get told by those organising these trips, you will get caught, and as these individuals will tell you, you will face jail time.'
Fellow US national, Isabella Carrasco, was arrested following a large cannabis seizure at Edinburgh airport when she arrived on a flight from LA, via London.
Carrasco has been charged and committed to appear before Edinburgh Sheriff Court next week.
The case is being investigated by the Organised Crime Partnership in Scotland, a joint team of NCA and Police Scotland officers.
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