A Swindon woman has admitted in court to attempting to bring more than 10 kilograms of cannabis into the country, after a parcel intercepted by UK Border Force led police straight to her door.
Amy Dunn, aged 37 and of Queens Drive, appeared before Swindon Magistrates’ Court on 18th July. She pleaded guilty to being involved in the fraudulent evasion of a prohibition on the importation of a Class B drug, as well as possession of a Class B drug.
The court heard how, on 17th July, Border Force officers became suspicious of a parcel arriving from Connecticut in the United States. The package, labelled as containing a motorcycle cover, was addressed to a Charlotte Thompson in Queens Drive. Following checks, it was flagged as potentially carrying controlled substances.
Wiltshire Police’s Local Policing Tasking Team (LPTT) took charge of the investigation. When the parcel was opened, it was found to contain 10.8 kilograms of high‑grade skunk cannabis, split into 24 sealed packets.
Officers went to the Swindon address the parcel was destined for. The door was answered by Amy Dunn, who admitted she was Charlotte Thompson, the name on the parcel. She was arrested at the scene for the importation of cannabis. A search of her property uncovered further cannabis, leading to a second arrest for possession.
Checks on Dunn’s phone showed she had been monitoring the parcel’s journey while it was in transit. She was later charged and has now admitted the offences. Sentencing is scheduled for 27th August.
PC Lauren Vincent of Swindon LPTT said that cannabis is far from harmless and its trade is often tied to organised networks, money laundering and the exploitation of vulnerable people. She added that Dunn’s actions could have put drugs with an estimated street value of £108,000 onto local streets, but swift work by the Border Force and police has ensured that did not happen.
