Man who failed to set up a money exchange business caught with £180k of cannabis at Prestwick airport

A man who failed to raise cash to set up a money exchange business was caught helping to smuggle £180,000 of cannabis into Scotland. Jack Goldsmith (24) and his brother James Woods (27) were held at Prestwick Airport in January this year.

Their luggage was searched shortly after they stepped off a flight from Malaga in Spain.

A total of 18kg of cannabis was then discovered stashed inside sealed bags in each of their suitcases.

The pair now face lengthy jail-term after they pled guilty at the High Court in Glasgow to smuggling the drugs.

Goldsmith had previously set up an online Crowdfunding page hoping to raise £50,000 to start a “bureau de change”.

In a message, he claimed he had a “very innovative mind”, but had been “handed some really bad cards in life”.

Goldsmith insisted he needed the money to pursue his “dream”.

He went on: “I have a passion for collecting coins and banknotes. I have a general interest in all things money.”

But, his attempts at raising funds failed - with a message stating: “This project was not successful”.

The court meantime heard how Woods had initially gone to Malaga and later arranged for his brother to join him.

Goldsmith had gone “without luggage”.

They then flew into Prestwick on January 11. They went on to each collect a suitcase after getting off the plane.

Prosecutor Gillian Ross then explained: “They were intercepted by officials who checked the cases.”

The pair each had five bags of cannabis inside their luggage.

Miss Ross: “The arrangements to collect the drugs and transport them back to the UK were made made by James Woods.”

Woods later denied any knowledge of the cannabis. He claimed his case had been “loaded with drugs” after checking it in.

Goldsmith meantime made no comment.

Lady Scott remanded the brothers, now of Hastings, Sussex, in custody as sentencing was deferred until next month in Edinburgh.