A pregnant drugs mule who attempted to smuggle 22.5kg worth of cannabis into Britain has avoided jail after telling the court she needed money to pay for a house deposit — a situation that highlights growing issues tied to financial desperation, prenatal stress, and mental health in expectant mothers.
Daniella KanKam-Adu, 19, was offered £250 in return for smuggling £225,000 worth of cannabis from Canada to Newcastle Airport on March 3 this year.
A high-stakes act that could’ve resulted in years behind bars and long-term legal liability including potential prenatal health complications for the unborn child due to incarceration-related stress.
The 19-year-old, of Queens Road, London, said she believed her luggage contained vapes, but Border Force agents quickly discovered the truth — heaps of the Class B drug, now tied to multiple international drug trafficking networks.
When questioned by airport officials whether she had packed her own luggage, KanKam-Adu maintained she had and insisted there was nothing of concern inside. Her answers quickly shifted as officials forced the locks.
