Van driver who smuggled cannabis from Scotland said he was 'delivering hot tub'

A van driver who admitted smuggling cannabis from Scotland said he was “delivering a hot tub”.

Lithuanian national Paulius Andrulis was arrested by National Crime Agency (NCA) officers at the Belfast port on June 15, 2025.

The 37-year-old had arrived on a sailing from Cairnryan, Dumfries and Galloway, and was found to be smuggling cannabis worth £220,000 into Northern Ireland and across the border to the Republic of Ireland.

Border Force officers questioned Andrulis about his movements and he told them he was delivering a hot tub to an address in Mullingar.

When officers searched the vehicle, a purpose-built hide was discovered in the roof containing 27.5 kilos of herbal cannabis.

The hide ran the length of the van’s roof, with access through the top of the van’s rear doors.

Andrulis was arrested the following day on suspicion of possessing a controlled drug with intent to supply.

In an interview, he claimed he was asked to drop the van at the address and it would then be returned to him hours later with the hot tub removed.

He denied any knowledge of drugs and said he had been asked to make the delivery by a man he knew as ‘Sprite’.

Andrulis appeared at Laganside Crown Court on June 29, where he admitted the offence.

He was sentenced to two years and two months in prison on Tuesday.

NCA Branch Commander David Cunningham said: “Paulius Andrulis went to great lengths to hide this haul of drugs in his van, with a specialist hide running the length of the roof.

“He denied any knowledge of these drugs but our investigation showed he had likely been involved in a number of previous smuggling runs and his account at interview lacked credibility.

“We are grateful to our partners at Border Force who discovered these drugs. The NCA will continue to do all we can to stop drugs being smuggled into Northern Ireland and across the border.”

John-Jo Oldham, Assistant Director, Border Force Northern Ireland, said: “This expert interception demonstrates that Border Force is relentless in combating drug smuggling.

“These drugs destroy lives, inflict misery on our communities, and fuel further offending.

“We continue to work around the clock to pursue criminality, protect the UK’s borders and keep these dangerous drugs off our streets.”