Amy Jayne Durban, a 45-year-old mum from Hemycock, Cullompton in Devon, got bang to rights at Heathrow Airport. Border Force officers kicked down her suitcase and found 51.2kg of Thai cannabis inside. The stash is worth a cool £512,000 on the streets.
Durban tried to play it cool but ended up pleading guilty to smuggling Class B drugs at Isleworth Crown Court on August 6. She’s now in the clink, awaiting sentencing on October 14. Before her arrest, she made a cheeky post on Facebook: 'On her way home to cut the grass if you know what I mean. No ETA so you won't know I'm about to hit your lawn.'
The NCA reckons drug couriers like Durban are being lured by criminal gangs with promises of free holidays and easy cash. But the consequences are serious. If caught, they face hefty fines or time in a Thai prison. Senior investigating officer Mark Abbott laid it on the line: 'These crime groups use profits from cannabis smuggling to fund other toxic activities.'