Charges following £13.8 million cannabis haul at Birmingham Airport

Charges Following £13.8 Million Cannabis Seizure at Birmingham Airport

Eleven individuals, aged between 21 and 35, face charges after the National Crime Agency uncovered over half a tonne of cannabis at Birmingham Airport. The discovery, made by Border Force in August 2024, involved 22 suitcases filled with drugs arriving from Thailand via Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.

The total weight of the seized cannabis reached 510 kilograms, carrying a UK street value of £13.8 million. Nine of the accused appeared before Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on 31 October 2025 and were released on bail pending their next hearing at Birmingham Crown Court on 28 November 2025.

Clare McCullogh’s hearing was postponed until 5 December 2025, while Bradley Lloyd failed to attend, leading magistrates to issue a warrant for his arrest. Six men suspected of orchestrating the smuggling attempt—five of whom were detained at addresses in Marsh Farm, Luton, and Finchley, north London, on 23 October 2024—remain under investigation.

“This was an enormous amount of cannabis to be seized from air passengers and would have been extremely profitable for organised crime gangs had it remained undetected,” said NCA Branch Commander Kevin Broadhead. “The charges brought against these individuals are an important moment in our investigation, which remains ongoing. Anyone who is asked to smuggle drugs into the UK should think very carefully about the potential consequences if caught.”

Summary

Eleven people face prosecution after more than half a tonne of cannabis, valued at £13.8 million, was seized at Birmingham Airport as part of an ongoing National Crime Agency investigation.

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National Crime Agency National Crime Agency — 2025-11-01

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