A 19-year-old British woman has been sentenced to prison after being caught smuggling £420,000 ($567,210) worth of cannabis through Heathrow Airport.
Erihanna Sackor was stopped by Border Force officers on June 2 after arriving from Thailand with 14 kilograms of vacuum-sealed cannabis hidden in her suitcase.
Prosecutor Abdul Kapadia told the court that while Sackor initially denied ownership of the luggage, it bore her name and matched her travel details.
The court heard that Sackor had been offered an all-expenses-paid trip to Thailand along with a promised £20,000 payout if she successfully delivered the drugs. She was also given £200 ($270) in spending money before flying out.
At the time, Sackor was struggling financially, living in a YMCA hostel in Hillingdon, west London, and in rent arrears. According to her defence lawyer, Jo Morris, Sackor’s deprived background and unstable upbringing left her vulnerable to exploitation.
She had previously attended a behavioural correction school known to social care services and lived with her mother, who suffered from mental health difficulties.
Morris argued that Sackor was pressured during her time in Thailand, where she faced threats and sexual intimidation. “Her vulnerability was exploited,” the defence maintained.
However, sentencing judge Recorder Amanda Pinto KC told Sackor she was a “knowing and willing participant” in an organised criminal group.
“You deliberately went out to Thailand to smuggle drugs back to this country. You did it because you expected to get £20,000 ($27,010), which is a very significant amount of money for someone in your position,” Pinto said.
Although the court acknowledged Sackor had been subjected to unpleasant threats, the judge emphasised that she bore awareness of the scale of the smuggling operation.
Sackor appeared via video link from HMP Bronzefield, where she had been remanded in custody. After admitting one count of importing Class B drugs, she was sentenced to 15 months in prison and ordered to pay £187 ($252) in victim costs.
The case highlights the growing concern of young and vulnerable individuals being targeted by organised crime groups to act as couriers in international drug trafficking operations.
