Former Asda Manager Jailed for Smuggling 30kg of Cannabis
A former Asda manager has been jailed after attempting to smuggle over 30 kilograms of cannabis into the UK through Manchester Airport.
Louisa de Marco, 57, was caught with 31.25kg of cannabis in two suitcases after arriving on a flight from Thailand. She admitted she had been promised £10,000 for successfully transporting the drugs.
Manchester Crown Court heard that De Marco, who previously earned £40,000 a year before losing her job during the COVID-19 pandemic, had since been assessed as unfit for work and was receiving benefits.
In a police interview, she said she met someone during a prior trip to Thailand who offered her a way to make money. That contact paid for her most recent trip, during which she agreed to carry the drug-laden suitcases.
Initially, De Marco claimed she believed the luggage contained only tobacco. However, she later pleaded guilty to fraudulent evasion of a prohibition on the importation of a Class B drug.
Bradley Mather, defending, said De Marco faced threats from those organizing the smuggling operation, who allegedly warned they would cancel her flights if she did not comply. He urged the court to spare her jail, citing her financial responsibility for her adult daughter’s rent.
However, Judge Recorder Sarah Griffin ruled De Marco had travelled to Thailand with her “eyes wide open.”
“You knew exactly what you were letting yourself in for,” the judge told her.
De Marco was sentenced to 20 months in prison, of which she will serve half behind bars.
Her case is among a growing number involving British nationals caught attempting to smuggle drugs into the country.
