A woman has been jailed for 25 months after admitting smuggling 51.2kg of cannabis from Thailand into the United Kingdom. Amy Jayne Durban, 45, of Hemyock, Cullompton in Devon, was arrested at Heathrow Airport after arriving from Bangkok on 6 July. Her two suitcases were stuffed with the drugs, with a street value of at least £512,000. Durban pleaded guilty to smuggling Class B drugs at Isleworth Crown Court in August. She was jailed for 25 months at a further hearing on Wednesday. The National Crime Agency said demand in the UK drives a surge in cannabis couriers approached by organised crime groups. Couriers are offered a free holiday and spending money to take cannabis home, while other criminals take over and move the drugs on. The NCA said the number of cannabis smugglers caught arriving by plane rose from 142 in 2023 to 801 in 2024, a 464% increase. It added that the figure reached 976 in 2025 and that 600 air passenger couriers have already been arrested in the first six months of 2026. The NCA also pointed to a crackdown in Thailand, where fines for those caught trying to smuggle cannabis are around £680 per kg. It said the average smuggler caught in Thailand is carrying 26kg, which would mean a fine of £17,680, with jail of up to two years if the fine is not paid. Durban has been sentenced to 25 months in prison, after pleading guilty to smuggling Class B drugs.