A pregnant teen has avoided jail time after being caught attempting to smuggle 22.5kg of cannabis from Canada to the UK, claiming that she needed the money to pay for a deposit on a house.

Daniella KanKam-Adu was caught by Border Force officers on March 3 this year after arriving from Canada, where she claimed she had been asked to bring back vapes. In reality, her suitcase contained 22.5 kilograms of cannabis – an amount with an estimated street value of £225,000. KanKam-Adu told authorities she had agreed to transport the bag for a £250 fee, believing it only contained vape products, and claimed she needed the money to put towards a housing deposit. The teenager had travelled to Toronto using tickets provided for her and was given a suitcase with instructions to return to the UK.

At Newcastle Crown Court, prosecutor Kevin Wardlaw said Border Force officers became suspicious when KanKam-Adu struggled to unlock her luggage and reacted defensively when told it would be opened by force. "She became obstructive and made comments to the officer, but this was a routine check – there was no discrimination involved," he added. Upon inspection, the suitcase was found to contain cannabis with a wholesale value of £67,500. KanKam-Adu later pleaded guilty to being concerned in the evasion of a ban on the importation of cannabis.

Prosecutors accepted her account that she was misled into thinking she was helping a friend bring vape products into the country to avoid tax. Her defence barrister, Glenn Gatland, told the court KanKam-Adu had experienced a troubled upbringing, including time spent in care. He revealed she had recently discovered she was pregnant and was determined to provide a better life for her child.

Tragically, she suffered a miscarriage while in custody, where she had been held on remand for three months. Gatland described her actions as “naïve” and said she had been exploited due to her vulnerability and financial desperation. Taking into account her personal circumstances and lack of prior convictions, the court opted not to impose an immediate custodial sentence.

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