Drug mules tried to smuggle £1m of cannabis into Scotland on Christmas Day

Two drug mules tried to smuggle £1 million of cannabis into Scotland on Christmas Day.

Londoners Nathan Reid and Kian Jennings were stopped by Border Force personnel within a minute of each other as they went through the green customs channel, with both of them in possession of two large suitcases.

Advocate depute David Dickson KC told the High Court in Edinburgh: “Each suitcase contained a large number of vacuum sealed bags which were found to contain cannabis.”

Reid, 20, was found to be carrying 52 and a half kilos of the Class B drug, which had a maximum potential street value of £525,000.

The court heard that 52 vacuum-sealed bags containing 43 and a half kilos of cannabis were recovered from the luggage of Jennings, 20, which had a potential value of £435,000.

Mr Dickson said that when Reid was stopped, he said he lived in London, had been abroad for a week and travelled alone. He said he was in Bangkok, in Thailand, to meet an unnamed friend and confirmed the suitcases were his.

The prosecutor said that Jennings also said he lived in London, was abroad for a week and travelled alone. He, too, had been in Bangkok to meet an unnamed friend.

Both were arrested and were interviewed in the presence of a solicitor and gave no comment on being questioned.

They had both flown to Edinburgh from Thailand via Germany.

They admitted being concerned in the supply of cannabis at the airport on December 25 in 2024, when they appeared in court on Thursday.

The judge, Lord Summers, adjourned sentence on them for the preparation of background reports. He rejected defence motions to continue bail for the pair and they were remanded in custody.