British mum made damning post before being caught smuggling £500,000 of Thai cannabis to UK
A mum who smuggled more than £500,000 worth of drugs to the UK from Bangkok made a bizarre social media post about 'hitting your lawn' just days before she was detained.
Amy Jayne Durban was arrested by Border Force officers on 6 July at Heathrow Airport having arrived from the capital of Thailand.
Her two suitcases were stuffed with cannabis which had a street value of at least £512,000, the National Crime Agency said. Pictures showed the luggage brimming with sealed bags of the drugs.
Following an appearance at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court last month, Durban, 45, pleaded guilty to smuggling a total of 51.2kg of the Class B drugs on the flight at Isleworth Crown Court.
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But just days before her arrest, the mum from Hemyock in Devon, had shared a post on Facebook.
It read: “On her way home to cut the grass if ya know what I mean. No ETA so you won’t know I’m about to hit your lawn.” She has been remanded into custody and is set to be sentenced on 14 October.
Mark Abbott, NCA senior investigating officer, 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.”
Police crackdown on 'explosion' in Thailand drug smuggling as young people warned of 'free holidays'
The National Crime Agency said there has been an 'explosion' in the number of drug couriers trying to smuggle cannabis into the UK from Thailand, which is driven by high demand.
The force said that couriers usually approached on social media by organised crime groups who offer a ‘free’ holiday and spending money in exchange for taking cannabis home where other criminals will take the drugs from the courier and move them on.
In 2023, 142 cannabis smugglers were caught arriving in the UK by plane. But by the following year this number had skyrocketed to 801, an increase of 464 percent. Last year, this figure rose again to 976 and is on track to be even higher this year.
Those caught trying to smuggle cannabis now face huge fines, at around £680 per kg. The ‘average’ smuggler is caught in Thailand with 26kg, equalling a fine of £17,680. If it isn’t paid, the smuggler could face two years behind bars in Thailand.
Since the new regime began in Thailand, 95 smugglers have been caught, 62 of whom were heading for the UK.
Beki Wright, Borders Threat Lead at the NCA, said: "Criminal gangs are targeting social media users with the promise of a free holiday and easy money. What they don't tell you is that if you're caught, you'll be left to face the consequences alone, while they walk away.
"You could be arrested and detained, facing a huge fine or jail abroad, followed by prosecution back in the UK and a criminal record that could follow you for the rest of your life.
"The influencers you see on social media promoting this lifestyle aren't showing you what happens next. We want people to see the full picture. It's not a shortcut to the good life, it's a route to a prison cell."
Topics: Crime, World News, UK News
James Holt