What would you do for £250? For 19-year-old Daniella KanKam-Adu, the answer was a risky airport run that ended in a courtroom.
The London teen, who was pregnant at the time, found herself in deep legal trouble after trying to smuggle over 22 kilograms of cannabis into the UK from Canada.
Her reason? She needed money to secure a place to live and prepare for motherhood.
Now, after a turbulent few months that included three months in custody and a tragic miscarriage, she’s walked free—but not without consequences.
The Smuggling Attempt That Went Sideways
Daniella landed at Newcastle Airport on March 3, thinking she’d pulled off a quick job.
She believed she was helping bring vapes back from Toronto, allegedly avoiding UK taxes.
That was the story she told investigators.
But it didn’t take long for Border Force officials to discover something else entirely.
Inside her luggage? £225,000 worth of cannabis—22.5kg to be exact.
Daniella insisted she packed the bags herself, but when officers pushed her to open one, she suddenly said she didn’t have the key.
Moments later, her demeanor changed.
She became defensive, and soon the drugs were found.
Courtroom Details and a Surprising Sentence
In court, Daniella admitted to being involved in the illegal import of cannabis.
Prosecutors accepted her version of events: that she was offered £250 by a friend to bring back what she believed were vape products.
Only later did she realize, based on the suitcase’s size and weight, that it probably contained drugs—but by then, she says, she felt stuck.
Newcastle Crown Court heard that Daniella, raised in care, had a tough upbringing.
She wanted to give her unborn child a better life than she had, which is what led her to accept the offer in the first place.
Her lawyer revealed that during her time in custody, Daniella suffered a
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