A COUPLE who claimed they were on their honeymoon were caught smuggling £99,000 worth of cannabis at a UK airport.
Jeng Chow, 30, and Ley Wat, 25,were recruited as mules to carry the drugs for just £800 each in cash.
The engaged pair had travelled from their native Malaysia with 28 vacuum-packed bags of cannabis stuffed in their cases.
But they were stopped at Terminal 2 of Manchester Airport by Border Force officials.
Chow and Wat shared a hug and kiss in the dock as they were jailed for a year and three months at Manchester Crown Court.
They pleaded guilty to one count of being concerned in the fraudulent evasion of a prohibition on the importation of a class B drug.
Prosecutors said Wat was in debt when he and Chow were recruited by smugglers to bring the drugs to the UK.
The couple were provided with the cannabis and promised cash following a successful handover.
They left Malaysia on April 16 and flew via Qatar before landing at Manchester.
After they were caught with the drugs, Chow and Wat claimed they had travelled to the UK for their honeymoon.
The court heard the drugs were worth £99,000 at wholesale prices but the street value would have been “much higher”.
When she was interviewed by police, Wat told officers she believed her suitcase contained alcohol.
She also revealed she and Chow were in contact with a third party and that someone was going to pick up the drugs at the airport in exchange for money.
The couple will be deported back to Malaysia once their sentences have been carried out.
Their sentencing comes amid a spate of similar drug mule cases – with around 13 Brits currently kept in hellhole jails abroad.
Three Brits are facing the death penalty in Bali accused of trafficking more than £300,000 worth of cocaine onto the island.
A Brit couple were charged with smuggling £1million of cannabis from Thailand a mere few days ago.
While several young women have been arrested trying to smuggle cannabis from Thailand.
Ley Wat has been jailed for drug smuggling[/caption]
Jeng Chow was recruited after falling into debt[/caption]
