A COUPLE who attempted to smuggle £200,000 worth of cannabis through Belfast International Airport have each been jailed for 21 months.
Jason Chah Kok Siong, 27, and Ho Wen Feng, 25, will also be deported after they have served their sentences.
"These convictions should serve as a warning to would-be couriers — you could face life-changing consequences," said NCA Branch Commander David Cunningham.
Birds' nest claim
Siong and Feng flew from Malaga to Belfast with almost 27kg of cannabis on December 13, 2024.
While unloading baggage from the plane, Belfast ground crew noticed a strong smell of cannabis coming from a silver-coloured suitcase and alerted both airport police and Border Force officers.
The bag was released to the carousel to identify who would collect it and Siong and Feng were observed removing the bag and attempting to leave the airport.
They were intercepted and their suitcases were opened to reveal 52 vacuum-sealed packages weighing a total of 26.7kg.
The drugs would have been worth around £200,000 at street level.
NCA investigators interviewed Siong and Feng and both said they had met a man at a Malaga hotel and were given two suitcases to be brought to Northern Ireland.
They told the court they believed they were transporting edible birds' nests and did not know about the drugs.
The pair were charged with possession of a Class B drug with intent to supply, possession of a Class B drug and importing a controlled drug.
Both were sentenced this week at Antrim Crown Court.
Working to disrupt trade
"The NCA will continue in our work to prevent drugs from reaching the streets of Northern Ireland," said Mr Cunningham.
"The gangs behind importations like these don't concern themselves with the fate of the couriers they recruit like Siong and Feng, and only care about the profits to be made from the drugs.
"The NCA is working closely with our partners in Border Force and internationally to disrupt this trade and destroy the business model organised crime gangs are utilising."
