A 22-year-old mother has been given a suspended prison sentence after attempting to smuggle a massive haul of cannabis, valued at £285,000, into the United Kingdom from Thailand.
Threats Against Her Child
Poppie Kudieersky told Manchester Crown Court that she only agreed to become a drug mule because international traffickers threatened to kill her five-year-old son. She claimed that after she ‘reluctantly’ travelled to Thailand under the pretence of helping with a stolen credit card operation, criminals sent her photographs of men loitering outside her family home in Denton, Greater Manchester.
Kudieersky stated she was then presented with two suitcases and warned that her house would be burned down and her child murdered unless she successfully smuggled the drugs back into Britain.
The Airport Arrest
The plot unravelled on February 2, 2024, when customs officers at Manchester Airport stopped her travelling companion. Mohammed Jacfer, a 26-year-old Dutch national living in Cheetham Hill, Manchester, was going through the green customs channel with two suitcases and a rucksack.
When questioned, Jacfer denied the bags were his. Officers checked the luggage tags and found they were in the name of Poppie Kudieersky. An X-ray revealed 57 vacuum-packed packages containing approximately 28.5kg of cannabis.
Court Sentencing and Evidence
Despite her claims of coercion, evidence on Kudieersky's phone complicated her defence. Prosecutor Philip Hall told the court her phone contained messages showing she had accepted the seized cases were in her name. Other messages suggested she was trying to get a free holiday, and pictures showed her enjoying hotels and beaches, leading her own mother to question how she was funding the trip.
Kudieersky pleaded guilty to importing cannabis. Judge Hilary Manley sentenced her to two years in prison, suspended for two years. She was also ordered to complete 15 days of rehabilitation activity and 150 hours of unpaid work. Mohammed Jacfer, who admitted drug importation at an earlier hearing, was jailed for two years.
The court also heard that Kudieersky had previous convictions for battery and possession of cannabis.
Rising Trend in Cannabis Seizures
The National Crime Agency (NCA) provided startling statistics on the increase in cannabis smuggling attempts via air passengers. Their figures show:
- 2022: Only 20 arrests.
- 2023: Arrests rose to 134.
- 2024: Arrests skyrocketed to 745.
- 2025 (first nine months): 680 passengers were already detained.
This sharp rise highlights the growing challenge faced by border forces at UK airports like Manchester.
