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A 29-year-old Canadian man has been charged after arriving at Aberdeen International Airport in the U.K. with nearly half a million worth of cannabis stashed in his luggage.
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The man was detained in December after he told U.K. Border Agency officials that he had plans to visit his sister in Slough, more than 800 kilometres away, reports BBC.
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Last week, while appearing in the High Court in Edinburgh, the man admitted to being involved in the supply of cannabis. He is due for sentencing next month.
The court heard that the man, who had arrived from Amsterdam, was stopped and questioned by border officials who wanted to know his reason for coming to the U.K. When asked about his two suitcases, the man said they contained clothes belonging to himself and his sister.
When officials moved to search the parcels, which were padlocked, the man said the locks belonged to his sister and he did not know the codes. After officials cut the locks off, they found cannabis estimated to be worth £300,000 ($499,482).
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The court heard the man would be paid £5,000 ($8,324) for his part in the smuggling operation.
Given the value of the drugs, the judge said a custodial sentence is likely in this case but noted the man has no previous convictions.
While medical cannabis is legal in the U.K., recreational pot is not. If a person is found to be in possession of cannabis with the intent to supply, they can face up to 14 years in prison and/or an unlimited fine, according to the U.K. government.
Earlier this month, three Americans who attempted to smuggle cannabis from California to the U.K. were found guilty of importing class B drugs.
The trio, aged 24, 31 and 34, flew from Los Angeles to Heathrow Airport on two separate dates in January and were caught with 87 kilograms of cannabis packed into their luggage. National Crime Agency (NCA) investigators estimated the combined cannabis to have a street value of more than £1.7m ($2.7 million).
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