Nathaniel Benson: Leeds man sentenced after smuggling £2m of cannabis into UK on flight with his children

A Yorkshire man who tried to smuggle around £2m worth of cannabis into the UK while travelling with his children has been jailed.

Nathaniel Benson arrived into Heathrow Airport on a flight from Bangkok in Thailand when Border Force officers found 150 packages of the drug in five suitcases.

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The 45-year-old had his two children travelling with him when the packages were found, and one of the suitcases had been checked in under one of their names.

Officers eventually found more than 100kg of cannabis, which would have had a value of around £2m if sold on the streets.

Benson, of Leeds, was inverviewed be investigators from the National Crime Agency (NCA) and charged with importing class B drugs.

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He pleaded guilty to the charge at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court on September 20 and was jailed for two years and three months at Isleworth Crown Court on Thursday (Oct 24).

A 41-year-old woman from Harrogate, who was travelling with him, was also arrested but later released under investigation.

NCA Senior Investigating Officer Mark Abbott said: "Anyone thinking of smuggling cannabis into the UK should take notice of the sentence given to Nathaniel Benson, who will now spend time behind bars.

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"Earning money by acting as a drugs courier may seem appealing, but it is just not worth the risk. The organised criminals behind these attempts do not care about the fate of those they employ to smuggle cannabis as their primary concern is financial gain.

The drugs found by Border Force staff at Heathrow AirportThe drugs found by Border Force staff at Heathrow Airport
The drugs found by Border Force staff at Heathrow Airport | NCA

"We continue to work with our partners in Border Force to tackle the gangs responsible for this trade."

Earlier this year, the NCA warned travellers from Thailand, Canada and the USA that they face jail sentences if caught attempting to smuggle cannabis into the UK amid a growing trend of organised crime gangs recruiting couriers to transport their drugs to the UK from abroad.

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The amount of cannabis seized in the UK so far in 2024 is three times more than the whole of 2023.

The NCA said people travelling with the drugs as couriers reported being told by their recruiters that they were only risking a fine if caught. However, the maximum sentence for cannabis importation in the UK is up to 14 years in prison.

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