Former Asda Manager Sentenced to 20 Months in Prison for Smuggling Cannabis into the UK

A 53-year-old former Asda manager, Louisa De Marco, has been sentenced to 20 months in prison for attempting to smuggle over 30kg of cannabis into the United Kingdom through Manchester Airport. De Marco, who had previously worked in a management role at Asda earning around £40,000 a year, was stopped by customs officials after arriving on a flight from Thailand via Abu Dhabi. She had been offered £10,000 to bring the cannabis into the UK and was told she would be given the money if she was successful.

Key Takeaways:

Louisa De Marco, a 53-year-old former Asda manager, was sentenced to 20 months in prison for attempting to smuggle over 30kg of cannabis into the UK.
De Marco had been offered £10,000 to bring the cannabis into the UK and had been told she would be given the money if she was successful.
The attempted smuggling occurred on May 8, 2022, at Manchester Airport, where De Marco arrived on a flight from Thailand via Abu Dhabi.
De Marco initially denied the bags were hers and claimed she believed they contained tobacco, but ultimately pleaded guilty to being concerned in the fraudulent evasion of a prohibition on the importation of a class B drug.
De Marco had been experiencing financial difficulties after losing her job at Asda due to the COVID-19 pandemic and had been receiving benefits due to physical and mental difficulties.
The judge, Recorder Sarah Griffin, said that De Marco had flown out to Thailand with her "eyes wide open" and knew exactly what she was involving herself in.

Statistics:

31.25kg of cannabis was found in De Marco's two suitcases at Manchester Airport.
De Marco had been offered £10,000 to bring the cannabis into the UK.
De Marco's annual salary at Asda was around £40,000.
De Marco was sentenced to 20 months in prison and will serve half of the term behind bars.

Sources:

Manchester Evening News
Manchester Crown Court