30/09/2003

South African man charged with cannabis smuggling

A South African man has been charged today with smuggling around 15kgs of cannabis, worth an estimated £46,000, from South Africa to Belfast.

Jacobus Frederick Engelbrecht, (24), was intercepted by Customs mobile detection officers at Belfast City Airport, when he arrived from Johannesburg via Heathrow on Sunday evening.

Mr Engelbrecht appeared at Belfast Magistrates Court on Monday, charged with illegally importing prohibited substances. He was remanded in custody for a week.

Customs' anti smuggling manager Angela Fulton said: "The removal of over £46,000 worth of cannabis from the criminal supply chain shows Customs' commitment to the multi-agency fight against drugs.

"In line with the UK government's drugs strategy, we work with our partners at home and abroad to reduce the availability of Class 'A' drugs, while continuing to detect and prosecute smugglers of other illegal drugs such as cannabis.”

This latest incident follows on closely from similar seizures from travelers arriving from South Africa made at Belfast City Airport earlier this month. Customs anti-smuggling officers seized approximately 28kgs of cannabis on Sunday September 7 and 20kgs of cannabis on Saturday September 20.

In an unrelated operation on Sunday 28th September, Customs also seized 390 litres of smuggled alcohol from at Aughnacloy, Co Tyrone.

(gmcg)

Related UK National News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

17 September 2004
Court imposes lengthy sentences on drug smugglers
Hefty sentences totalling 31.5 years were handed down to one man and two women convicted of drug smuggling charges today at Manchester Crown Court. Rodcliffe Burns Smith, 35, of Rowley Regis was jailed for nine years for cocaine smuggling and two years for cannabis smuggling.
10 October 2003
South African jailed over cannabis smuggling
A South African man has been jailed for two-and-a-half years at Belfast Crown Court after pleading guilty to attempting to smuggle cannabis through Belfast City Airport. Customs officers intercepted Gabriel Jacobus Frederick Erasmus, 49, on January 20 on his arrival at Belfast City Airport from Johannesburg via London Heathrow.
11 August 2014
Cannabis Factory Uncovered In Cardiff Hospital
Police in Cardiff searching for a missing person have uncovered a cannabis farm in a disused ward of a psychiatric hospital. It is understood that around 30 cannabis plants were uncovered by officers during a search at Whitchurch Hospital in Cardiff. News of the cannabis farm was revealed in a report by the BBC.
12 September 2012
Boom In Cannabis Trade Leading To Increase In Gang Violence
A senior police officer has warned of an upsurge in shootings and gang-related violence related to a ‘boom’ in the cannabis trade.
28 August 2012
Cannabis Use In Teens Used To Link Drop In IQ
New research finds that persistent cannabis use during adolescence can cause lasting harm to a person's intelligence, attention and memory.