A 19-year-old UK-born Ghanaian woman has narrowly avoided jail after she was caught attempting to smuggle 22.5kg of cannabis from Canada to the UK via Newcastle Airport.
The Class B drugs, with an estimated street value of £225,000, were found in her luggage during a routine Border Force inspection.
Daniella KanKam-Adu, of Queens Road, London, was stopped by Border Force officials on March 3, 2025, after flying from Toronto.
She claimed she believed the bags contained vapes, not drugs. The Newcastle drug smuggling case has drawn attention due to her age and circumstances.
Prosecuting, Kevin Wardlaw told Newcastle Crown Court:
“When asked to open one [item of her luggage] she said she didn’t have the key. She became aware that the locks would be forced.
“Her attitude changed; she became obstructive, making comments to the officer. The officer was not being racist; it was just a random check.”
Authorities discovered 22.5 kilograms of cannabis, worth around £67,500 wholesale.
The Ghanaian woman involved in cannabis trafficking pleaded guilty to being concerned in the fraudulent evasion of the prohibition on the importation of cannabis.
Prosecutors accepted her explanation that a friend had offered her £250 to bring “vapes” from Canada to the UK, promising it was a simple way to avoid taxes. She travelled on tickets provided to her and followed instructions, she claimed.
She told the court she realised the bag contained cannabis based on its weight and size, but decided to return anyway because she needed the money and had a plane ticket.
Her defence lawyer, Glenn Gatland, explained that KanKam-Adu had endured a difficult upbringing, including time in a care home. Before committing the offence, she discovered she was pregnant and wanted a better life for her child.
Gatland said: “She has spent three months in custody and that will certainly serve as a deterrent to her to keep out of trouble in future.”
He added that she had suffered a miscarriage while in custody, and had been acting naively, influenced by a friend, in an effort to earn money for a housing deposit.
“She has spent three months in custody, and that will certainly serve as a deterrent to her to keep out of trouble in future.”
KanKam-Adu was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, avoiding immediate incarceration.
The case of a pregnant teen drug mule spared jail has raised questions about exploitation, poverty, and youth vulnerability in cross-border drug trafficking.
