![\"Tyler](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1_JS385154386.jpg\")
Tyler Stechling outside court. (Image: Alexander Lawrie )<\/p>\nTyler Stechling was stopped by Border Control and found to have 24 kilos of the Class B drug.<\/p>\n
15:09, 20 Oct 2025Updated 15:09, 20 Oct 2025<\/p>\n
Tyler Stechling outside court. (Image: Alexander Lawrie )<\/p>\n
A drug courier who was caught attempting to smuggle close to \u00a3100,000 of cannabis<\/a> through Edinburgh Airport has been jailed.<\/p>\n Tyler Stechling was found to have the huge amount of the Class B<\/a> drug stuffed into his suitcase when he was stopped by Border Force officers at the capital’s airport in January this year.<\/p>\n The unemployed 20-year-old agreed to carry out the drug deal in return for a financial payment and had attempted to transport 40 vacuum-sealed<\/a> packages containing 24 kilograms of the drug.<\/p>\n Edinburgh Sheriff Court<\/a> was told Stechling agreed to fly to to Thailand to pick up the drug consignment before travelling to Dubai in the UAE then on to Edinburgh.<\/p>\n The court was told customs officials discovered the haul<\/a> after carrying out “a routine examination” of luggage from the Emirates flight at around 7.30pm on January 17 this year.<\/p>\n Prosecutor Xander van der Scheer said: “A black suitcase was identified as being consistent with having packages of an organic substance.<\/p>\n “A request was made to intercept the passenger who owned that suitcase and the accused was seen to pick up the suitcase. He had travelled from Thailand via Dubai. The accused was intercepted and acknowledged it was his bag.<\/p>\n “When asked, the accused indicated he was unable to open the bag and his mate had packed the bag and his mate would open it.”<\/p>\n The court was told the suitcase was eventually forced opened and found to contain just one towel along with 40 sealed packages containing the cannabis.<\/a><\/p>\n The fiscal depute said the weight of the drugs amounted to 23.8 kilos and the total value amounted to \u00a390,440.<\/p>\n The court was told the value of the drugs<\/a> would be significantly more if split into smaller street deals.<\/p>\n Stechling, of Burnley, Lancashire, pled guilty to being concerned in the fraudulent evasion<\/a> of controlled drugs at Edinburgh Airport this year when he appeared at the city’s sheriff court earlier this year.<\/p>\n He returned to the dock for sentencing<\/a> today, Tuesday, October, 20, where defence agent Lucy Scott told the court her client had been “gullible and extremely foolish” for agreeing to take part in the operation.<\/p>\n Ms Scott said Stechling has an apprenticeship as a side fitter lined up and he acknowledges that “his future will be tarnished” by the drug trafficking conviction.<\/a><\/p>\n The lawyer said: “He deeply regrets his actions and this is something he will have to live with forever.”<\/p>\n Sheriff Christopher Dickson said: “This is a very serious international drug trafficking offence involving you flying from Thailand to Edinburgh Airport with 23 kilos of concealed cannabis valued at \u00a390,000.<\/p>\n “I do consider a custodial sentence the only appropriate way of dealing with you.”<\/p>\n