British man’s Thai-high’ trip goes up in smoke at Manchester customs

[webfact]

Picture courtesy of JustPark

 

by Bob Scott

Another British man has been nabbed in a high-stakes arrest after being caught returning through Manchester Airport customs with two suitcases full of cannabis from Thailand. The alleged British drug mule, Ahmed Sohail, who claimed he went to Thailand to lose some weight, ended up losing much more than he bargained for.

 

Stopped by eagle-eyed Border Force officials, the 26 year old drug trafficker was carrying two suitcases that piqued their suspicion. While Sohail insisted he had been on an indulgent eight-day jaunt in Bangkok, a scan revealed his luggage contained not just holiday mementoes but 40 kilogrammes of the class B drug along with a crafty Apple tracking device.

 

Prosecutor Sophie Kenny detailed the find.

 

“After his arrest on August 21 this year, x-ray machines were used to search the suitcases. Within both of them were multiple vacuum-sealed packages of a herbal substance. It was tested and found to be cannabis.”

Manchester Evening News reported that Sohail confessed to being caught in a web spun by others and admitted to a role in the dodgy operation without any financial gain. Despite the gravity of the situation, he received a suspended sentence.

In his defence, barrister Benjamin Kaufman argued that Sohail was merely a pawn, manipulated by more seasoned criminals.

 

“He played a limited function. He appears to have been taken advantage of by those more criminally sophisticated than him.”

 

Kaufman added that Sohail was deeply worried about his mother’s stage 4 cancer diagnosis.

 

Picture of Manchester Airport courtesy of Business Traveller

Judge Suzanna Goddard KC, handing him an 18-month suspended sentence, described him as “intelligent but foolish and naïve.”

 

“In life you are faced with choices and in the future, you need to make the right choice.”

Sohail, from Cargate Walk, Manchester, must now complete 200 hours of unpaid work and undergo 10 days of rehabilitation activity requirements.

 

Sohail’s drug bust is not an isolated case. There has been several similar high profile cases of British nationals being apprehended trying to smuggles cannabis through Manchester Airport.

 

A British dad of three late last month was sentenced to two years behind bars for an audacious attempt to smuggle nearly £100,000 (4.4 million baht) worth of cannabis from Thailand.

 

The 42 year old British man, gripped by grief and desperation after the death of his girlfriend, confessed he took the illicit gamble in hopes of using the cash to reunite with his estranged children.

In another related case last month, a down-and-out drug mule took a gamble to clear his debt to his own mother – and lost big-time at Manchester Airport.

 

Dean Pharoah, who owed cash to his mum, tried to smuggle over £200,000 (approximately 8 million baht) worth of cannabis into the UK after a holiday in Thailand. But UK Border Force officers had their suspicions and swooped as he passed through the Nothing to Declare channel, putting an end to his high-stakes plan.

 

Meanwhile, Netflix star Olga Bednarska incredibly escaped a long prison sentence despite being nabbed at Manchester Airport smuggling cannabis worth £150,000 (6.75 million baht) through customs.

 

The star of Netflix’s hit reality show Too Hot to Handle, found herself entangled in a scandalous drug-smuggling affair after Manchester Airport customs officers intercepted the 27 year old, as she returned from Thailand, and uncovered nearly 40 kilogrammes of cannabis stashed inside her luggage.

 

Source: The Thaiger 

-- 2024-12-09

 

 

 

[JoePai]

What a stupid moron

[KannikaP]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

While Sohail insisted he had been on an indulgent eight-day jaunt in Bangkok, a scan revealed his luggage contained not just holiday mementoes but 40 kilogrammes of the class B drug along with a crafty Apple tracking device.

40kg of luggage for an 8 day holiday. What a plonker.

[quake]

Just sounds like one more donkey that was set up.

whilst,  the good knows how much smack /coke come through on the real courier.

 

 

[impulse]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Judge Suzanna Goddard KC, handing him an 18-month suspended sentence, described him as “intelligent but foolish and naïve.”

 

“In life you are faced with choices and in the future, you need to make the right choice.”

Sohail, from Cargate Walk, Manchester, must now complete 200 hours of unpaid work and undergo 10 days of rehabilitation activity requirements.

 

18 months suspended, 200 hours of service work and 10 days in rehab.  Doesn't seem like much of a deterrent.

 

I wonder what the guys not named Ahmed would get?

 

[hunkidori]

The Thais would have already informed UK customs of the Asian gentleman with a British passport and what he had in his bags

[josephbloggs]

2 hours ago, impulse said:

 

18 months suspended, 200 hours of service work and 10 days in rehab.  Doesn't seem like much of a deterrent.

 

I wonder what the guys not named Ahmed would get?

 

Probably 18 months suspended, 200 hours of service work and 10 days in rehab, if the circumstances were the same.

You guys need to get over yourselves - poor little oppressed white people.

[SABloke]

2 hours ago, impulse said:

 

18 months suspended, 200 hours of service work and 10 days in rehab.  Doesn't seem like much of a deterrent.

 

I wonder what the guys not named Ahmed would get?

 

 

Well Pharoah got 26 months (although he did have 10kg's more, if that makes a huge difference? His judge didn't believe his "victim" story:  "Judge John Potter told Pharoah during sentencing: "People like you, who take part in importing commercial quantities of cannabis like this, must and no doubt would expect on capture to be sent to prison." Maybe Sohail was lucky and got a soft judge.

[Bobthegimp]

On 12/9/2024 at 11:54 AM, webfact said:

Ahmed Sohail

 

A good, old stock British name.  I bet they threw the (comic) book at him.

[josephbloggs]

12 minutes ago, Bobthegimp said:

 

A good, old stock British name.  I bet they threw the (comic) book at him.

Yawn. Any thread with any name that doesn't sound white like John Smith and we get idiotic comments like yours.

Are you really that racist that you can't acknowledge Britain is a nation of immigrants? Second, third, fourth generation immigrants (or much further back if you want to go there).

Only Johns Smiths are "good old stock" British names? 

What is your surname bobthegimp? Where do your family come from?

[Nick Carter icp]

On 12/9/2024 at 1:55 PM, JoePai said:

What a stupid moron

 

  No stupid at all .

Could have earnt  huge amount of money at the risk of 200 hours work .

A months work for 10-20 000 GBP and a free holiday in Thailand 

Well worth the risk 

[ryxyz]

It seems some people do not read nor listen to the news. They also do not carry out any form of research before embarking on their journey. 

[Bobthegimp]

11 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

Yawn. Any thread with any name that doesn't sound white like John Smith and we get idiotic comments like yours.

Are you really that racist that you can't acknowledge Britain is a nation of immigrants? Second, third, fourth generation immigrants (or much further back if you want to go there).

Only Johns Smiths are "good old stock" British names? 

What is your surname bobthegimp? Where do your family come from?

 

Cue the thought police with the fashionable Tony Blair-esque slogans. 

 

British is a nationality, not a race. Ergo my comment could be labeled as nationalist.  We're all home sapiens my good man. The same race. 

 

Enoch was right. 

[theshu25]

Should have given the idiot 10 years for stupidity. Suspended sentence,now that i s  a  joke.

[arick]

Have they smoked it Thai weed isn't worth a dollar a gram for the <deleted> 

[hotchilli]

On 12/9/2024 at 11:54 AM, webfact said:

Another British man has been nabbed in a high-stakes arrest after being caught returning through Manchester Airport customs with two suitcases full of cannabis from Thailand. The alleged British drug mule, Ahmed Sohail, who claimed he went to Thailand to lose some weight, ended up losing much more than he bargained for.

Alas to some the risk is worth it..

[jippytum]

He didn't smuggle drugs because he was Nieve he did it for the money. 

 Suspended sentence in the UK. Pity he didn't get caught at Bangkok airport. 

[henryford1958]

Suspended sentence, so he got off scot free. No wonder smugglers try it on. Might as well have a sign saying "All drugs welcome"

[newbee2022]

On 12/9/2024 at 11:54 AM, webfact said:

Picture courtesy of JustPark

 

by Bob Scott

Another British man has been nabbed in a high-stakes arrest after being caught returning through Manchester Airport customs with two suitcases full of cannabis from Thailand. The alleged British drug mule, Ahmed Sohail, who claimed he went to Thailand to lose some weight, ended up losing much more than he bargained for.

 

Stopped by eagle-eyed Border Force officials, the 26 year old drug trafficker was carrying two suitcases that piqued their suspicion. While Sohail insisted he had been on an indulgent eight-day jaunt in Bangkok, a scan revealed his luggage contained not just holiday mementoes but 40 kilogrammes of the class B drug along with a crafty Apple tracking device.

 

Prosecutor Sophie Kenny detailed the find.

 

“After his arrest on August 21 this year, x-ray machines were used to search the suitcases. Within both of them were multiple vacuum-sealed packages of a herbal substance. It was tested and found to be cannabis.”

Manchester Evening News reported that Sohail confessed to being caught in a web spun by others and admitted to a role in the dodgy operation without any financial gain. Despite the gravity of the situation, he received a suspended sentence.

In his defence, barrister Benjamin Kaufman argued that Sohail was merely a pawn, manipulated by more seasoned criminals.

 

“He played a limited function. He appears to have been taken advantage of by those more criminally sophisticated than him.”

 

Kaufman added that Sohail was deeply worried about his mother’s stage 4 cancer diagnosis.

 

Picture of Manchester Airport courtesy of Business Traveller

Judge Suzanna Goddard KC, handing him an 18-month suspended sentence, described him as “intelligent but foolish and naïve.”

 

“In life you are faced with choices and in the future, you need to make the right choice.”

Sohail, from Cargate Walk, Manchester, must now complete 200 hours of unpaid work and undergo 10 days of rehabilitation activity requirements.

 

Sohail’s drug bust is not an isolated case. There has been several similar high profile cases of British nationals being apprehended trying to smuggles cannabis through Manchester Airport.

 

A British dad of three late last month was sentenced to two years behind bars for an audacious attempt to smuggle nearly £100,000 (4.4 million baht) worth of cannabis from Thailand.

 

The 42 year old British man, gripped by grief and desperation after the death of his girlfriend, confessed he took the illicit gamble in hopes of using the cash to reunite with his estranged children.

In another related case last month, a down-and-out drug mule took a gamble to clear his debt to his own mother – and lost big-time at Manchester Airport.

 

Dean Pharoah, who owed cash to his mum, tried to smuggle over £200,000 (approximately 8 million baht) worth of cannabis into the UK after a holiday in Thailand. But UK Border Force officers had their suspicions and swooped as he passed through the Nothing to Declare channel, putting an end to his high-stakes plan.

 

Meanwhile, Netflix star Olga Bednarska incredibly escaped a long prison sentence despite being nabbed at Manchester Airport smuggling cannabis worth £150,000 (6.75 million baht) through customs.

 

The star of Netflix’s hit reality show Too Hot to Handle, found herself entangled in a scandalous drug-smuggling affair after Manchester Airport customs officers intercepted the 27 year old, as she returned from Thailand, and uncovered nearly 40 kilogrammes of cannabis stashed inside her luggage.

 

Source: The Thaiger 

-- 2024-12-09

 

 

 

Ahmed......a very common British name. 😂. 

[kingstonkid]

On 12/9/2024 at 3:05 PM, quake said:

Just sounds like one more donkey that was set up.

whilst,  the good knows how much smack /coke come through on the real courier.

 

 

Naw not set up just stupid.  Hell they don't need scanners the figs will pick it up quickly 

[lordgrinz]

You want to smuggle a highly illegal substance, so you go for the full  two suitcases approach, no chance they would spot that, right? 🤔

[Bundooman]

On 12/9/2024 at 3:51 PM, impulse said:

 

18 months suspended, 200 hours of service work and 10 days in rehab.  Doesn't seem like much of a deterrent.

 

I wonder what the guys not named Ahmed would get?

 

Agreed. Great example of how to do wrong and not get punished.

You can guarantee the service work and rehab will be watered down for this A-hole.

Now everyone will jump on that bandwagon.

Well done and congratulations to that foolish and weak-bellied judge!

[quake]

2 hours ago, kingstonkid said:

Naw not set up just stupid.  Hell they don't need scanners the figs will pick it up quickly 

 

It does just make me wonder, if he was set up.

I think people stopped putting pot in suitcases 40 years ago.

as Airport dogs got a whiff of it straight away, let alone the luggage is all scanned,  you can see the stuff in the case.

It just makes no sense.

Sure the lad would be unaware of what may have been going on at a higher level.

Did the real courier slip through on the same flight. who knows.

Or are we just breeding, A1,  f-wits now days. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[quake]

3 hours ago, henryford1958 said:

Suspended sentence, so he got off scot free. No wonder smugglers try it on. Might as well have a sign saying "All drugs welcome"

 

 You only need to stand in line, at arrivals at Manchester airport, to know what's welcome in the uk. 

[Blueman1]

5 hours ago, jippytum said:

He didn't smuggle drugs because he was Nieve he did it for the money. 

 Suspended sentence in the UK. Pity he didn't get caught at Bangkok airport. 

 Pity he didn't get caught at Bangkok airport.....But It's LEGAL In Thailand....

[Burma Bill]

4 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

Ahmed......a very common British name. 😂. 

 Not as common as Muhammed (reference google):

 

Muhammad has become the most popular baby name for boys in England and Wales for the first time, new data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed. The name has been among the top 10 names for baby boys since 2016, but has now overtaken the previous favourite, Noah.4 days ago

[Nickcage49]

There's no fixing stupid.

[kingstonkid]

21 minutes ago, Nickcage49 said:

There's no fixing stupid.

Sure there is 

[James105]

On 12/9/2024 at 5:57 PM, josephbloggs said:

Probably 18 months suspended, 200 hours of service work and 10 days in rehab, if the circumstances were the same.

You guys need to get over yourselves - poor little oppressed white people.

 

Actually 2 years 3 months in jail for a white person.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg5exjk22xo  

[georgegeorgia]

4 hours ago, Bundooman said:

Agreed. Great example of how to do wrong and not get punished.

You can guarantee the service work and rehab will be watered down for this A-hole.

Now everyone will jump on that bandwagon.

Well done and congratulations to that foolish and weak-bellied judge!

Sounds a bit prejudice even a tad racist 

This poor man has come from a broken background and needs support not old men like you casting opinions which show him no support and tolerance