A Canadian man has been jailed for 32 months after Border Force officers at Glasgow Airport discovered more than 28kg of cannabis in his luggage. Kouame Anhe, 20, was stopped by officers at around 7.40am on July 8 and later pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cannabis, aggravated by a connection with serious organised crime.
Discovery of the drugs
When officers took Anhe to the carousel to examine his luggage, he insisted he only had a small red suitcase, despite two large black suitcases being checked in under his name. The black suitcases were examined and found to contain 28.45kg of herbal cannabis, split into 55 packages.
Border Force estimated that the quantity of the Class B drug would have a street value of £284,500 and be worth around £110,000 on the wholesale market.
Court proceedings and sentencing
Anhe later admitted the cases were his but claimed he had not packed them and did not know what they contained. Appearing at Paisley Sheriff Court last week, his defence lawyer told the court that Anhe had accepted his guilt from the start. The lawyer explained that Anhe turned a blind eye to what was placed inside the suitcases and saw the trip as a quick fix for his money problems. He also said Anhe's family had been threatened if he did not smuggle the drugs, and that Anhe accepted he should have gone to the police in hindsight.
Sentencing, Sheriff Colin Pettigrew told Anhe that he knew he was involved in illegal activity and carried on regardless. The sheriff said he was mindful of Anhe's age and the fact that cannabis is a Class B drug in the UK, but that the quantity involved could not be ignored.
Sentence handed down
Sheriff Pettigrew said that 'custody is the only appropriate sentence' and handed Anhe a four-year sentence, cut to 32 months to reflect his early guilty plea. The sentence was backdated to July 9, when Anhe was remanded in custody after his arrest.
