A DRUG-smuggling Brit mum has dodged jail after being caught bundling a huge stash of cannabis from Thailand into Germany.
Cameron Bradford, 21, from Knebworth, Herts, was found guilty of drugs trafficking and handed a two-year-suspended sentence today.
Cameron Bradford was detained at Munich Airport on April 21 as she tried to collect her luggage
The 21-year-old mum has been accused of allegedly smuggling cannabis in her bags
Munich District Court heard how Cameron had worked as an escort for a man in the UK who threatened her into going to Thailand to pick something up for him.
The young mum was arrested at Munich Airport on April 22 as she attempted to collect her luggage.
Authorities became suspicious when she changed her flight to London Heathrow via Singapore at the last minute – flying to Munich instead.
Munich customs officials pulled her aside and found 45lb (about 20kg) of marijuana in her suitcase.
Cameron claimed she had no idea about the illegal contents of her luggage, which was locked.
Judge Wilfried Dudek said that Cameron had had a difficult life.
He said she had been through an early pregnancy and fallen in with the wrong crowd.
The judge said he found it strange that Cameron had not known what was in the suitcase, but agreed she had been pressured by the man.
When Cameron didn’t return home on her Heathrow bound flight as expected, her family filed a missing persons report.
By the next day, they had found out that she had been arrested in Germany.
In 2024, Germany legalised cannabis for recreational use by adults aged 18 and over.
But the unauthorised import of cannabis, even for personal use, is strictly illegal and carries a hefty sentence of up to five years in prison.
There has been an explosion in the number of young Brits arrested around the world on drugs trafficking charges.
Cameron’s punishment is considerably more lenient than two other young Brit smugglers who learned their fate yesterday.
The judge said that Cameron’s life had not gone well
You Tube/ZimpapersDigitalThe pair were convicted of drugs smuggling and sentenced to six years in prison each[/caption]
A pair – Tihaise Darlin Elisha, 19, and Taylor Tamara Simone, 21 – were jailed for six years each in Zimbabwe after being caught with nearly 70kg of cannabis – again from Thailand.
Security officers at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport in Harare noticed the pair acting suspiciously on May 1, so yanked them aside.
A search of their luggage found that four Monarch suitcases were completely stuffed with weed.
Police found 53 packets containing a total of 66kg of loose skunky cannabis, known locally as “dagga”.
Three months later, the pair were found guilty of drugs trafficking by the Harare Magistrates’ Court, according to Zimbabwe’s national prosecutor.
Why Brit backpackers are prime targets, Thai cop reveals
By Patrick Harrington
Police Lieutenant Colonel Arun Musikim, Deputy Inspector of the Surat Thani province police force, said: “Cases involving British nationals smuggling cannabis have been around for a while.
“Initially most incidents happened at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok. But as arrests increased, the security tightened inspections, making it harder for smugglers to operate.
“So they began looking for smaller airports with international flights, which is why they started using Koh Samui, as it operates international flights while still being a very small airport.
“There are a lot of codeshare flights with major airlines that have international transfers in Bangkok where the suitcases are moved between planes and not checked. Then the flights go to the UK.
“Phuket is another airport with international flights to Europe but the airport is bigger and security is more advanced.
“There is a lot of cannabis grown on Thailand’s islands in the south because the climate is suitable and it is legal. A lot of gangs are attracted to this.
“There are now various smuggling methods that we have seen. Some carry it themselves, some hire backpackers, and some send it via mail.
“This year, there have been many cases we have intercepted. Most involve British and Malaysian nationals.
“It’s easy for British citizens to travel as they can enter Thailand and return to the UK without needing a visa.
“Most of the smugglers are people hired to carry the cannabis, similar to how tourists might smuggle tax-free goods.
“They’re usually unemployed individuals from the UK. The gangs offer them flights, pocket money and hotel stays, just to come and travel and take a bag back home with them.
“These people often have poor social standing at home and are looking for ways to earn quick money. They find them through friends or on social media.
“The average age is mostly young adults, though not all. There are men, women, and even people with disabilities, all posing as backpackers visiting Thailand for a holiday.
“Many will go to festivals or parties while they are here, just like they are having a normal trip abroad.
“Upon further investigation, we found that the gangs behind this are entirely based in the UK. The payment varies — some are paid to carry in exchange for clearing debts owed to these gangs.
“Wages differ. Some get £3,000 to £5,000, some only £2,000, and others just have flight tickets and some pocket money. Some accept the chance to have a holiday that is paid for.
“They are told that it is easy and they will not be caught. Then the amount the organisers can sell the cannabis for in the UK is much higher than it costs in Thailand.
“Police suspect that there are multiple employers and groups receiving the drugs on the other end. The cannabis then enters the UK market.
“To stop this network, immigration police have coordinated with customs, the Ministry of Public Health, and airport officials.
“In Surat Thani, several people have already been sentenced, some received four months, the longest was six months, depending on the court’s decision.
“Some confessed and carried small amounts and were sentenced to four months. Others who recruited, managed, or transported large amounts received six months.
“Currently, there are fewer cases on Koh Samui because of our strict enforcement. Tourists are now looking for other routes instead.
“We are being vigilant to ensure there are no routes out of the country.”
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