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2mo ago

UK Authorities Intensify Crackdown on Cannabis Smuggling Amid Major Arrests in Ghana

Recent arrests of British nationals in Accra highlight the global scale of cannabis trafficking and the UK's evolving strategies to combat the issue.

There were 32 drug “disruptions” at Scottish airports between last October and March, up from 11 in each of the previous three years

Overview

  • Browne-Frater Chyna Jada, a 23-year-old British woman, was arrested at Accra's Kotoka International Airport with 17.72kg of cannabis worth £172,000 in her luggage.
  • Owusu Williams Christian, 19, was also detained at the same airport with 53.6kg of cannabis, marking another significant smuggling attempt thwarted by Ghanaian authorities.
  • Cannabis seizures at UK airports have surged, with nearly 27,000kg seized in 2024—a fivefold increase compared to 2023, according to the National Crime Agency.
  • The UK Border Force has introduced a pilot scheme at Heathrow Airport to repatriate drug mules for prosecution in their home countries, aiming to reduce the burden on UK prisons.
  • International cooperation, including partnerships with Thailand and Ghana, remains central to the UK's efforts to disrupt organized crime networks behind the smuggling operations.