Authorities in the United Kingdom are warning Americans that they can expect to face heightened security after a string of arrests led to over 800 pounds of pot seized and 11 Americans arrested in eight days on suspicion of drug smuggling.
The U.K.’s National Crime Agency announced the „warning to potential drug smugglers” last week, saying that border authorities would specifically target passengers who travel from Los Angeles to London with added cannabis security measures.
Authorities detained 11 Americans this month for drug smuggling after they were caught carrying cannabis from Los Angeles to London. Each person was found carrying 60 to 110 pounds of cannabis in their checked luggage, totaling over 800 pounds seized in just eight days, according to the U.K.’s National Crime Agency.
Cannabis is legal to grow and sell in California, but it remains illegal in the U.K. The National Crime Agency said that cannabis grown in California is worth a higher price when it’s sold in Britain.
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The authorities did not specifically say how travelers would be searched for cannabis, only saying that people should expect added security.
A Virgin Atlantic Airbus A330-300 aircraft on final approach at Heathrow Airport in August 2020.
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“In light of this unusual series of seizures, law enforcement will undoubtedly be paying more attention to passengers on the Los Angeles to London route and stepping up checks,” said National Crime Agency Heathrow Branch Commander Andy Noyes in a press release.
Nine of the Americans have been charged with attempting to import class B drugs, a charge that can carry up to 14 years of prison time, according to the U.K. government.
The announcement is yet another reminder that bringing pot on international flights is a serious risk, despite the widespread legalization of cannabis in the United States. Even small amounts of hemp, a type of cannabis that has less than 0.3% THC, can get you in trouble internationally. WNBA star Brittney Griner was sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony for carrying CBD vape cartridges into the country last year.
A traveler walks through a TSA checkpoint at SFO on Nov. 16, 2022.
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However, flying with cannabis has become much less risky for domestic flights in the United States, according to two criminal attorneys who spoke with SFGATE last month. The Transportation Security Administration, which provides security at most American airports, has taken a largely hands-off approach with cannabis. Travelers with less than 8 ounces of cannabis have generally been ignored by TSA at Oakland’s airport, according to William Panzer, a Bay Area criminal defense attorney.
“For a while, it was if you’re under 8 ounces, they didn’t hassle you at the airport, and I think it’s probably the same right now,” Panzer told SFGATE last month.