Ryan Boachie, 31, of Hendon Road, Edmonton is one of 11 people charged as part of a National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation into the discovery of more than half a tonne of cannabis at Birmingham Airport.
He was arrested after Border Force found 510 kg of the drugs – which would have had a street value of £13.8 million – packed into 22 separate suitcases in August 2024.
All those charged had travelled from Thailand, transiting at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.
Six men suspected of organising the importation – five of whom were arrested at addresses in Luton and Finchley in north London in October 2024 – remain under investigation.
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NCA branch commander Kevin Broadhead said: “This was an enormous amount of cannabis to be seized from air passengers and would have been extremely profitable for organised crime gangs had it remain undetected.
“The charges brought against these individuals are an important moment in our investigation, which remains ongoing.
“Anyone who is asked to smuggle drugs into the UK should think very carefully about the potential consequences if caught.
“The chances of getting caught are high, and it just isn’t worth that risk.”
Boachie appeared at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court yesterday (October 31) and was bailed until his next appearance at Birmingham Crown Court on November 28.
Other individuals charged from London included Jaden Ramen, from Colliers Wood and Gideon Olumoyegun, from Dagenham.
