Record 1,000 drug mules arrested for smuggling cannabis into UK as police warn gangs on social media are luring young Britons with promise of influencer lifestyles
Almost 1,000 British nationals were arrested at UK airports last year for smuggling cannabis from abroad, a sevenfold rise on 2023, prompting warnings from the National Crime Agency that criminal gangs are recruiting young Britons via social media with the lure of free holidays and an "influencer" lifestyle. The surge is largely linked to Thailand, where cannabis was decriminalised in 2022, making it cheap and plentiful to grow, even though exporting it remains illegal; recruits are coerced under threat of violence into carrying drugs back to the UK once trapped in the scheme.
Police figures show 976 arrests in 2025, up from 142 in 2023, with 600 already recorded in the first six months of this year, and the average haul seized worth around £250,000. Gangs approach targets on platforms such as Snapchat and TikTok, offering a week-long trip to Thailand before forcing them to smuggle roughly 25kg of cannabis (worth about £10,000 per kilogram) in exchange for up to £5,000. Couriers face up to 14 years in prison in the UK and far harsher penalties, including death, in some other countries; recent cases include Amy Durban, caught at Heathrow with £500,000 of cannabis, influencer Ellie Crampsie, jailed for 16 months, and Bella Culley and Charlotte Lee May, both detained abroad facing lengthy sentences.
- Cannabis mule arrests at UK airports hit record 976 last year
- Gangs use social media to lure young Britons with holiday promises
- Thailand's 2022 decriminalisation fuels surge in smuggling attempts
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Cannabis is a drug made from the cannabis plant. Although it is used legally in some countries, it remains illegal to possess, produce or supply in most circumstances in the UK, and bringing it into the country without permission is a serious offence.
A drug mule is someone who carries illegal drugs for other people, often across international borders. They may be paid, pressured or misled by criminal groups, and can face arrest, prosecution and long-term consequences even if they are not the organisers of the operation.
Organised criminal groups often recruit through personal contacts and online platforms. Police say social media can be used to make drug-running appear glamorous or low-risk, while concealing the legal dangers and the control that gangs may exert over those involved.