A 23-year-old American woman has been jailed for more than five years after attempting to smuggle crack cocaine worth £800,000 into the UK, concealed inside a parmesan cheese wheel.
Jamie Choi, from California, was stopped by UK Border Force officers at Heathrow Airport on 25 May 2025, shortly after arriving on a flight from Brazil. Officers questioned Choi about the unusually large 8kg wheel of parmesan cheese she was carrying. She claimed a friend had suggested she purchase it in Lima, Peru, for them to try.
However, a closer inspection of the cheese revealed a hidden package. Forensic analysis later confirmed it contained high-purity crack cocaine – 94 percent pure – with an estimated street value of £800,000.
The case was referred to the National Crime Agency (NCA), which pieced together Choi’s travel history. Investigators found she had flown from Los Angeles to Lima on 20 May. The following day, she travelled to Asuncion, Paraguay, where she stayed until 24 May, before flying to Heathrow via São Paulo, Brazil.
Inside Choi’s handbag, officers found a notebook containing a single handwritten entry dated 21 May 2025 – the day she left Lima. It read:
“I dropped out of UCSB [University of California Santa Barbara] on Monday. Currently I am in Paraguay in South America solo travelling for the first time. It’s been amazing so far.”
Choi was arrested and later charged with importing Class A drugs. She pleaded guilty at Isleworth Crown Court on 6 August 2025. On 12 August, she was sentenced to five years and three months in prison.
NCA senior investigating officer Barry Vinall said the case was a reminder of the constant vigilance of border and law enforcement officers.
“We’ve seen people trying to smuggle cocaine into the UK hidden inside all manner of innocuous looking items,” Vinall said. “Border Force and the National Crime Agency are well-practised in finding drugs, whatever the disguise. Smuggling drugs into the UK is simply not a risk worth taking – it has consequences, as seen in this case.”
The sentencing highlights the continued efforts of UK authorities to disrupt drug trafficking networks and deter attempts to bring illegal substances into the country, regardless of how well-hidden they may be.
