Oruno Ododo was jailed for three years
Oruno Ododo
A drug courier who reported his suitcase had gone missing during a trip to Manchester Airport found himself in hot water with police when he came to collect it.
Oruno Ododo had journeyed from Bangkok via Hong Kong on February 12 this year, when his luggage disappeared – arriving separately from him later on.
The 25-year-old lodged a complaint at the time, Manchester Crown Court heard.
However, a border force officer deemed the suitcase suspicious later that day and upon investigation, discovered it was packed with cannabis worth an estimated £83,000.
Ododo initially claimed he had been forced into the act, but subsequently admitted to being involved in the fraudulent evasion of a prohibition of the importation of a class B drug, reports the Manchester Evening News.
At Manchester Crown Court on Friday (July 25) he was jailed for three years.
Georgia Kennedy-Curnow, prosecuting, said that on February 12 this year, a Border Force officer at Terminal 2 at Manchester Airport identified a large grey suitcase had missed its connecting flight.
She approached Global Baggage Solutions and found that Ododo had complained about the suitcase not arriving. He had travelled from Bangkok via Hong Kong to Manchester, the court heard.
The officer asked the worker to inform them if anyone came to collect the bag, during which it was x-rayed and showed evidence of drugs concealed within.
Using bolt cutters to open the suitcase, she found 18 packages of cannabis weighing around 20.71 kilos.
“On February 15 the defendant arrived to collect his suitcase and was arrested after he confirmed it belonged to him,” said Ms Kennedy-Curnow.
“He did state he was given this suitcase on the street and told to bring it to the UK. He said he was coerced and feared for his safety.”
The court heard that his phone was confiscated for analysis, but Ododo did not provide a PIN code.
German national Ododo was said to have previous convictions for battery, drug dealing and stalking, and was subject to a community order and a suspended sentence order at the time of the offences.
Representing himself, Ododo said: “I was coerced to commit this offence. I was in Thailand for six days.”
When asked how he paid for the trip, he replied: “I didn’t.”
He continued: “I did feel I was coerced to commit this offence. I had my phone seized, I already pleaded guilty, I didn’t give the [PIN] code as I didn’t deem it my responsibility to prove I wasn’t coerced.”
Jailing him, Recorder Nicholas Flanagan said: “You sought to bring in a large quantity of cannabis into the UK. Drugs are a blight on our community and I have no doubt you did this for some financial gain.
“I have no confidence you will comply with any court order.”
Ododo, of Victoria Street, Openshaw, was jailed for three years.