
British couple 'tried to smuggle £1,000,000 of cannabis into UK from Thailand'
A British couple have been charged with trying to smuggle £1 million worth of cannabis into the UK from Thailand.
Daniel McDonald, 36, and Sian Warren, 34, were detained after landing at Heathrow Airport on May 27.
Four of their cases are said to have been packed with 51kg of cannabis.
The pair, from Salford in Greater Manchester, were charged with importing class B drugs and appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates Court last week.
They were bailed and will next appear at Isleworth Crown Court on June 26.
The couple had been on a dream holiday in Asia, Sian's dad Tony said.
He told the Sun his daughter 'has not brought anything back, definitely not', adding: 'She had her own suitcases with clothes in it.'
Theirs is the latest in a series of high-profile cases concerning Brits accused of smuggling drugs overseas.
Bella May Culley faces a maximum sentence of 20 years or life imprisonment in Georgia if she is convicted over a cannabis haul worth £200,000.
Her case was followed by that of Charlotte May Lee, 21, who is currently in prison in Sri Lanka, also accused of trying to run the drug out of Thailand. More Trending
The former cabin crew worker, from Coulsdon, south London is accused of attempting to smuggle 101lb (46kg) of synthetic kush worth £1.2 million in two suitcases.
Last month, a British couple were arrested in Spain after 32kg of cannabis was discovered in two suitcases.
Hours later, an electrician from Cumbria narrowly escaped a death sentence in Bali after initial drug trafficking charges against him were dropped, and instead replaced with hiding information from the authorities.
A British pensioner was also arrested in Chile after allegedly attempting to smuggle five kilos of methamphetamine.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
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Daily Mirror
28 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Ballymena riots explained as police call for calm following 'racist thuggery'
Rioters descended on the streets of Ballymena in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, where they are tearing through a neighbourhood rocked by a recent alleged sexual assault Riots on the streets have left the quiet town of Ballymena in flames and swarming with armed officers following what police say are the actions of "racist" protesters taking advantage of two recent arrests. Violence flared in the Northern Irish community, around 30 miles from Belfast, on June 9 following a peaceful vigil at the site of an alleged sexual assault in the Clonavon Terrace area, for which they have arrested and charged two teenage boys. Police have been deployed wearing body armour after initial protests snowballed into chaos, with PSNI officials condemning the actions of people - both locals and people who have arrived in the town from elsewhere - as "racist thuggery", as officers respond with water cannons and rubber truncheons while coming under heavy fire from rioters, who have pelted them with all manner of missiles. How the violence began The first protest following the alleged incident came after PSNI said it arrested and charged two boys with attempted rape following an incident on June 7. The pair have appeared before Coleraine Magistrates' Court, where they confirmed their names and ages via a Romanian interpreter, with their solicitor later adding they would deny the charges against them. A third 28-year-old man arrested in connection with the incident was unconditionally released from police custody following questioning. A vigil was held following the incident which police say was hijacked by bad actors who have stoked "racially motivated" violence, targeting homes and police with fire bombs and masonry after breaking away from the crowd and building barricades. One property was set on fire, and several cars were left flaming after dozens of masked rioters arrived from outside the town. Police said a pregnant woman was living at one of the homes targeted by the rioters. Local outlets estimated that around 2,500 people have participated in the riots. Some locals fearing violent retribution have begun labelling their properties with disturbing notices carrying their nationalities. One sign reading "British household" was seen on a local home, with another sporting a sign reading "Filipino lives here". Officials condemn racism in calls for calm Police and local officials have been quick to condemn the violence, with PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson saying the violence was a result of "racist thuggery, pure and simple". He told a news conference on Monday night that members of the crowd were "clearly intent on violence" and that some pre-planning may have been involved. He said: "Last night saw significant sustained disorder in Ballymena. This violence was clearly racially motivated and targeted at our minority ethnic community and police. I want to condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms. It has no place in our society and should be loudly condemned by all right-thinking people." Liam Kelly, the chair of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland, the body that represents police officers in the home nation, said officers had likely "prevented a pogrom" despite what he said was critical underfunding. He said: "I have no doubt whatsoever that police officers – far too few, because the service is starved of resources and officer numbers – prevented a pogrom with consequences too painful to contemplate. What we saw was totally mindless, unacceptable and feral." Locals flee homes in fear of violence PSNI said in a statement on Wednesday that four homes have been damaged with fire, and three people have been evacuated, with more locals planning to flee in their wake, fearing that the developing violence - which they fear could go on for weeks - could eventually touch theirs and their loved-one's properties. Among those taking urgent action was one man who told Sky News he was forced to drag his 84-year-old mum "kicking and screaming" from the home in which she has lived for 40 years because he felt the neighbourhood was now unsafe. He said he had "never seen anything like this". Another family living in the town was forced to retreat to and hide in their attic on Monday night, the first during which violence flared, as their homes were ransacked. Police come under heavy fire As well as targeting local homes, rioters have rained fire on police who have been called to respond to the violent incident, with 15 officers left injured, according to PSNI. The police service said its officers came under "sustained attack" from masked rioters wielding a combination of petrol bombs, fireworks, heavy masonry and bricks. Northern Irish Justice Minister Naomi Long said she was "appalled" by the violence inflicted on attending officers and locals. She said: "I am absolutely appalled by the disturbing scenes in Ballymena yesterday evening during which PSNI officers were injured, residents terrorised, and properties damaged. "There is absolutely no place in our society for such disorder and there can be no justification for it." Police arrest rioters With riots having now lasted more than two days, police have arrested some people on suspicion of violence, and they expect to take more people into custody in the days to come. Police have arrested one 29-year-old on suspicion of riotous and disorderly behaviour, attempted criminal damage and resisting police. ACCC Henderson expects that more arrests will come in future as investigators continue to review video footage of the riots, adding: "There will be more [arrests] to follow."


NBC News
an hour ago
- NBC News
Rioters attack police and torch houses for a second night in Northern Ireland
Hundreds of masked rioters attacked police and set homes and cars on fire in the Northern Irish town of Ballymena on Tuesday, in the second successive night of disorder that followed a protest over an alleged sexual assault in the town. Seventeen officers were injured, bringing to 32 the number hurt since the violence began Monday following a large protest over an alleged sexual assault in the town. Two 14-year-old boys appeared in court that day, accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl. The charges were read to the teenagers via a Romanian interpreter, the BBC reported. A lawyer told the court that the two teenagers denied the charge. They were remanded in custody until July 2. Police are investigating attacks on properties Monday that saw four houses damaged by fire as racially-motivated 'hate crimes'. 'The mindless violence witnessed over the past two nights in Ballymena is deeply concerning and utterly unacceptable,' Police Service of Northern Ireland Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said in a statement on Wednesday. 'Hate-fueled acts and mob rule do nothing but tear at the fabric of our society... This behavior must stop.' One Romanian resident told the Irish Times on Tuesday that she was putting a British flag on her front window in a bid to prevent being targeted. Another door had a British and Filipino flag with a message saying 'Filipino lives here', a photograph in The Belfast Telegraph showed. Five people were arrested on suspicion of riotous behavior in Ballymena, located 45 kilometres (28 miles) from the capital Belfast, following one arrest there on Monday, police said on Wednesday. Police in Northern Ireland sporadically come under attack whenever tensions rise in parts of the British region, 27 years after a peace deal ended three decades of sectarian bloodshed there. Officers in riot gear and driving armored vans responded on Tuesday with water cannon and non-lethal rounds, known as attenuated energy projectiles, after being attacked by petrol bombs, scaffolding and rocks that rioters gathered by knocking down nearby walls, a Reuters witness said. One house was burned out and a police officer vomited after leaving another in a different part of the town that rioters had attempted to set alight, the witness added. A number of cars were set on fire and one lay upside down in flames as police sirens blared throughout the town past midnight. Separate protests Tuesday blocked off some roads in Belfast, another Reuters witness said. Bins were set alight and bottles and masonry thrown at police following protests in the towns of Newtownabbey and Carrickfergus, police said. Police also reported some incidents in north Belfast. The British government and local politicians condemned the violence. 'The terrible scenes of civil disorder we have witnessed in Ballymena again this evening have no place in Northern Ireland,' Britain's Northern Ireland Minister Hilary Benn said on X.


Edinburgh Live
an hour ago
- Edinburgh Live
Madeleine McCann police in 'major breakthrough' with Christian Brueckner probe
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info An expert has suggested that new evidence may "significantly strengthen" the case against Christian Brueckner, the suspect in the Madeleine McCann disappearance. A grim new documentary about Madeleine McCann has unveiled distressing discoveries at Christian Brueckner's abode, which include images of children in swimming attire, toddler toys, and appalling stories of child snatching. During the investigation, an 80gb hard drive was unearthed, containing photos and a computer key, possibly providing the impetus for detectives to associate the suspect with Madeleine's vanishing. The contents of the hard drive also positioned Brueckner at the epicentre of the search zone around Arades Dam in Portugal. It was disclosed in the documentary that Brueckner expressed desires to "capture something small and use it for days". Robert Green, a Professor of Forensic Science at the University of Kent, opines that finding "mask, guns, and hard drive" may necessitate a more intensive inquiry into Brueckner's history. Speaking to The Mirror, he remarked: "The discovery of items such as a mask, guns, and particularly the hard drive, indicates a potential link to further criminal activity, which may warrant a more thorough investigation of the suspect's past," reports the Mirror. It's thought the fresh search is linked to the continued quest for answers in the Madeleine McCann case, with the hope that new evidence might crack it. Investigators constantly review existing evidence and chase leads they think might pay off, especially in cases that have gone unsolved for years. A newly unearthed letter from prime suspect Brueckner is said to mock German police's efforts to tie him to Madeleine McCann's disappearance. In the handwritten note, seen by German newspaper Bild, he allegedly writes: "Are there any traces of her in my vehicle? Any other traces of her in my possession? Photos? Is there a body? No, no, no." A document also places the suspect at the location of a search for Madeleine McCann, where he reportedly said "she did not scream" while discussing the British toddler with an associate. He also shares a chilling kidnapping story, including: "A very small girl enters the room. She's definitely not older than five." The latest search for clues related to Madeleine McCann's disappearance lasted three days in Praia da Luz last week, near where Brueckner is known to have camped. Brueckner spent time in the Praia de Luz area of Portugal between 2000 and 2017, with his home just a mile from the Ocean Club, where the McCann family stayed when Madeleine vanished on May 3, 2007. Years on, investigators reportedly discovered that his mobile phone had received a call near the holiday flat complex approximately an hour before the three year old was reported missing.