Eleven people have been charged with attempting to smuggle more than 300 kilos of cannabis into the UK via Heathrow and Gatwick airports over the space of two days.

National Crime Agency (NCA) investigators questioned the individuals following their arrest by Border Force officers, after they which they were charged with smuggling class B drugs.

Paige Jonas-Willingham, 21, of no fixed abode, and Paul Lambert, 42, from Salford, arrived on Saturday (21 September) on a flight from Bangkok, via Muscat. Approximately 45 kilos of cannabis was found in two suitcases from the same flight.

A third person, Raekelle Powell, 22, a professional volleyball player from Toronto in Canada arrived the same day on a flight from that city and was stopped after officers discovered approximately 19 kilos of the drug in suitcases.

A fourth person, Victoria Roberson, 35, from California, USA, arrived on the same day and was stopped after officers discovered approximately 36 kilos of cannabis in checked-in baggage.

On Sunday, Siobhan McTavey, 24, from Northern Ireland, arrived on a flight from Bangkok via Doha. Border Force officers found 45 kilos of the drug in baggage.

Malaysian national Chew Meu Wong, 42, arrived from Bangkok via Bahrain and was arrested after 43 kilos of cannabis was found in a bag.

Canadian nationals Christopher Duffell, 44, and Tania Fetherston, 51, who arrived on a flight from Toronto via Copenhagen, were arrested after 30.7 kilos and 34.7 kilos of the drug were found in luggage.

Malaysian national Siew Fong Chua, 33, who arrived on a flight from Bangkok, was arrested after 17.1 kilos of the drug was found in luggage.

Around 270 kilos of cannabis was seized at Heathrow Airport from this bust (credit: NCA).

Two people were also arrested at Gatwick after two bags which each contained 20 kilos of cannabis were seized. They were Peter Kargbo, 22, from Wolverhampton, who had arrived on a flight from Bangkok on Saturday, and 29-year-old Canadian national Malik Barrett, who had arrived on a flight from Toronto on Sunday.

Jonas-Willingham, Lambert, Roberson, Powell and McTavey all appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates Court on Tuesday (24 September), with Chua, Fetherston, Duffell and Wong appearing yesterday. All were remanded into custody before their next appearance at Isleworth Crown Court on 24 October.

Kargbo and Barrett appeared at Croydon Magistrates Court on Tuesday, where they were remanded into custody before their next appearances at Croydon Crown Court on 21 October and 28 October respectively.

NCA say the increase in these seizures is fuelled by organised crime gangs who have access to cannabis grown overseas, in locations where it is legal, who are recruiting couriers to transport it to the UK where it can generate greater profit for them than growing the drugs themselves.

The NCA say it is continuing to work with law enforcement partners in both the UK and overseas to target high-risk routes, seize shipments of drugs and disrupt the criminal gangs (credit: Cesar Medina).

NCA Branch Commander Andy Noyes said: "The NCA continues to warn people attempting to smuggle huge quantities of cannabis into the country.

"The gangs behind the trafficking of cannabis into the UK do not care that the couriers will likely be arrested and end up in prison – their sole purpose is to make money.

"Anyone who attempts to smuggle drugs into the UK needs to know that you will be identified, you will be arrested and you will spend time in prison."