Southampton man jailed for cannabis smuggling and violent disorder

A drug smuggler recruited on Snapchat told investigators he knew suitcases he was bringing back from Thailand contained cannabis or cocaine.

At Southampton Crown Court, Noah Barker, 19, of Derby Road in Southampton, was today (4 September) sentenced to three years and eight months behind bars for smuggling Class B drugs and violent disorder.

Barker was arrested by Hampshire Police on 10 July this year at Heathrow Airport in relation to violent disorder. He had flown in from Bangkok. Border Force officers checked Barker's suitcases and asked him what was inside.

He replied: “It is cannabis.” A National Crime Agency investigation followed.

The luggage contained 41 packages of cannabis weighing just over 20kg and with a street value of up to £600,000.

In interview Barker, who is unemployed and a cannabis smoker, said he was recruited by a crime group on Snapchat and offered a free holiday and payment in exchange for bringing something back. He received no payment.

He told investigators that he knew the two suitcases he was given to courier to the UK contained either cannabis or cocaine.

Barker previously admitted smuggling cannabis and violent disorder.

The latter charge relates to a Hampshire Police investigation into the disorder that occurred in Southampton following the Henry Nowak protects on 2 June this year.

NCA senior investigating officer Mark Abbott said: “Like other cannabis smugglers, Barker was motivated by money. He knew he was doing something illegal and fraught with danger but did it anyway.

“As well as a life-changing criminal conviction, couriers’ future career and travel prospects can be wrecked by smuggling drugs.

“We will continue to work with partners at Border Force and in Thailand to combat the smuggling of cannabis to the UK.”

In July, Thai authorities introduced a new fines regime for couriers caught smuggling cannabis from the country.

They face fines of around £680 per kilogram of cannabis found. The ‘average’ smuggler is caught in Thailand with 26kg which equates to a fine of almost £18,000.

If smugglers cannot pay they face up to two years in a Thai jail.

The NCA has recently launched a social media campaign designed to help deter anyone tempted to accept an offer from a crime group to smuggle cannabis.

Barker was sentenced to two years and four months for violent disorder and 16 months for smuggling cannabis.