Brothers sentenced following Prestwick Airport drugs bust
James and Jack Goldsmith were caught with around £180,000 worth of cannabis in two suitcases
Two brothers from East Sussex caught with suitcases full of cannabis at Prestwick Airport have been sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh.
James Goldsmith was sentenced to three years behind bars for his part in the incident- while his younger brother Jack avoided a prison sentence, and was instead ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.
The men, from Hastings, were arrested after arriving at Prestwick Airport on a flight from Malaga in January this year.
They had each checked in one suitcase and after collecting them from the carousel they were stopped by airport officials who carried out a search.
Inside the cases the officers discovered a total of 10 sealed bags of cannabis weighing around 18kg and with a street value of approximately £180,000.
The two men, from Hastings in East Sussex, were interviewed with the older brother James insisting the drugs had been placed in his bag after it was checked in. Jack Goldsmith made no comment throughout.
Both men appeared at the High Court in Glasgow on 18 May and pleaded guilty to the offence.
Speaking following the sentencing on Friday, Nicky Patrick, Procurator Fiscal for Homicide and Major Crime, said:
“This conviction means another large quantity of cannabis has been taken out of the illegal drug supply chain.
“They had been intent on bringing illegal substances through Scotland and attempted to deceive officers when stopped and questioned about their activities.
“We will continue to work with the police and other agencies to keep communities safe by reducing their exposure to these illegal drugs and the harm they cause."