Two brothers have been jailed for attempting to smuggle large quantities of cannabis through Manchester Airport. Carl Threadgill, 36, and Josh Threadgill, 33, were caught with suitcases filled with the class B drug and have now been sentenced.
Arrest and seizure
The brothers were spotted by customs officers in terminal two of the airport at about 9.30am on June 6, having returned on the same flight from Thailand. Each had a suitcase stuffed with cannabis, with the drugs weighing just over 36 kilos individually. The combined haul of over 72 kilos had a UK wholesale value of about £220,000, the court heard.
Motivations and threats
Josh Threadgill told police he had been offered £10,000 for the smuggling attempt and claimed he was threatened that his house would be 'firebombed'. Carl Threadgill said he carried the drugs to clear a £2,000 debt, and claimed he had been threatened and 'feared for his life'. The judge noted that Carl had been offered £15,000 for the crime.
Warning of 'massive increase'
Charles Lee, a senior officer with the National Crime Agency (NCA), highlighted a 'massive increase' in such smuggling attempts since cannabis was legalised in Thailand in 2022. Before that, only 20 passengers had been caught smuggling cannabis, but last year 900 passengers were stopped, with more than 30 tonnes of the drug seized.
Sentencing
Both brothers pleaded guilty to one count of being concerned in the fraudulent evasion of a prohibition on the importation of cannabis. Their defence barristers appealed for non-custodial sentences, noting they were in work and had young families. However, Recorder Ben Lawrence said a deterrent sentence was needed, telling them: "Each of you imported in excess of £100,000 worth of cannabis which was going to be sold on the streets of Manchester, and quite possibly further afield in this country."
Carl Threadgill, of Wigan, was sentenced to 26 months in prison, while Josh Threadgill, of Warrington, received 24 months. Both were told they could expect to serve up to 40 per cent of their sentence behind bars.
