Drugs: Smuggling
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Border Force press release entitled Border Force: don't let drug smugglers steal your future, published on 17 July 2026, what data the Department holds on the number of UK nationals arrested overseas for attempting to smuggle cannabis into the UK in each of the last five years.
Answered by Home Office
The Border Force activity highlighted in the press release formed part of wider operational and safeguarding work to raise awareness of the risks of criminal exploitation by organised crime groups involved in drug smuggling. The activity was delivered using existing Border Force resources, staff and communication channels.
Border Force undertakes internal reviews of operational activity to identify lessons learned and inform future safeguarding and prevention work. There are currently no plans to publish internal evaluations produced for operational learning purposes.
Border Force does not hold data on the number of UK nationals arrested overseas for attempting to smuggle cannabis into the UK.
Border Force does not hold data on the number of UK nationals recruited by organised criminal groups to smuggle controlled drugs into the UK.
As part of its safeguarding work, Border Force works with a range of partners, including the travel industry and media organisations, to raise awareness of the risks of criminal exploitation. Border Force has not engaged directly with social media companies as part of this activity.
The activity was intended to raise awareness of the risks associated with organised criminal groups exploiting individuals to act as drug couriers. Border Force considers a range of information when reviewing such activity, including operational intelligence, detection trends, media reach and feedback from frontline officers and partners.
The Home Office and operational partners work closely with international partners to prevent illegal drug trafficking and disrupt the organised crime groups enabling it. There is frequent and ongoing engagement with the Government of Thailand on countering drug trafficking from Thailand, including by senior Home Office, FCDO, National Crime Agency and Border Force officials. In July 2026, Thai authorities introduced a scheme to fine drug couriers who are caught smuggling cannabis out of Thailand to any other country. So far, almost 100 couriers have been caught, over 60 of whom were heading for the UK.
Verbatim has judged this answer against the question that was actually asked — answered, partly answered, or evaded. Sign in to see the verdict →