Bolton man jailed over Birmingham Airport cannabis plot

Lewis Ross, 35, was part of a group arrested by Border Force officers in August 2024 at Birmingham Airport who plotted to bring £13.8M into the UK.

More than two years on, he was brought to learn his fate before Birmingham Crown Court with three other men.

Several other people involved in the plot, many of them much younger, are still waiting to learn their fates.

Head of Border Force Midlands Command Adam Chatfield said: “These convictions should be a stark warning to anyone considering bringing cannabis into the UK.

“The young people involved now have a serious crime on their records, damaging their job prospects and life chances.

“More than ever, we are working closely with law enforcement partners in the UK and overseas to combat drug smuggling, keep our communities safe and our borders secure.”

The court heard that the couriers each had two suitcases which were both packed with 20kg of cannabis, which amounted to 460kg in total.

Lewis Ross caught on camera (Image: NCA)

Lewis is believed to have carried 41kg of this through the airport.

The couriers had to pay an excess charge at Bangkok Airport to put them in the hold as they were so heavy.

Each suitcase had a thin layer of clothing above the vacuum-packed cannabis, and eight contained Apple Air Tag trackers.

Some of the cannabis that was seized (Image: NCA)

National Crime Agency investigators identified that these were connected to the same Apple ID account.

Suspicions were raised when Border Force linked the seizures to other travellers using connecting flights into Birmingham.

This prompted them to fully staff the ‘nothing to declare’ customs green channel which led them to find the cannabis.

Huge amounts of cannabis were involved (Image: NCA)

One courier was told: “My man gonna be on the other side – don’t leave the airport until you see him leave.

“Even if your bags are there just let them go round on the belt, go toilet etc. etc.”

Ross, of Rupert Street, Great Lever, was brought back to court to be sentenced for being knowingly concerned in evading the prohibition on the importation of cannabis.

Some of the cannabis that was seized (Image: NCA)

He was jailed for two years and eight months.

Alongside him in court were Carsten Kyei, 21, of Denmark Street, Newham, Bradley Lloyd, 27, of Wythenshawe, Manchester, and Nathan Vitorino, 26, of Little Hardings, Welwyn Garden City.

They had also been convicted of being concerned in evading the prohibition on the importation of cannabis.

Ross and Lloyd had both changed their pleas to guilty during the trial, while Kyei and Vitorino were both convicted by a jury.

Kyei was jailed for two and a half years, Lloyd for four years and Vitorino for two years and eight months.

NCA senior investigating officer Paul Boniface said: “These sentences show that drugs couriers can end up paying a high price for smuggling cannabis to the UK.

“It is simply not worth the effort, something that social media influencers promoting this lifestyle frequently overlook.

“With the help of Border Force, we were able to intercept these drugs, deprive the criminal network behind the importation of considerable profits and protect the public from the damaging effects of cannabis.”

Gideon Oluwasetemi Olumoyegun, 26, of Stour Road, Dagenham, Ryan Boachie, 32, of Hendon Road, Edmonton, Jamal Clarke, 22, of the Mile Road, Walthamstow, will be sentenced later.

There is also Claire McCullough, 36, of Meliden Crescent, Wythenshawe, Jaden Ramen, 23, of Myrna Close, Colliers Wood, Paige Crisp, 24, of Pear Tree Drive, Broom Hall, and Tasia Nelson, 22, of Cheviot Road, Newquay.

All are due to be sentenced for being concerned in evading the prohibition on the importation of cannabis on October 22.

Victoria Norman from the Crown Prosecution Service said: “Working with investigators, prosecutors pieced together a picture of a highly co-ordinated effort to smuggle industrial quantities of drugs into the country.

“Ultimately, this strong evidence led to six of the group pleading guilty, with the remainder convicted following a trial.

“The CPS is committed to working with the NCA to tackle organised crime and ensure that those involved with drug smuggling are brought to justice.”