Friends Sophie Bannister and Levi-April Whalley seemed like two ordinary women when they landed back in the UK from their trip to New York .

But when they were stopped at Birmingham International Airport, the women were found with more than 35kg of cannabis in their luggage. Today, April 2, they sat side-by-side in the dock, the women held hands and sobbed as the court heard how they had attempted to bring the drugs into the country.

It was heard how Bannister and Whalley, both 30, told Border Force officers they had been on a three-day shopping trip in the US in December 2023. But text messages between them later revealed how they had become involved in a plot to import cannabis, both expecting to profit significantly, Lancs Live reports.

They returned on December 9, via Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport, but were stopped on their arrival into Birmingham. Both women said they had packed their own cases and knew it was illegal to bring drugs into the country.

However when their luggage was checked, officers found 34 heat sealed packages containing 16.5kg of cannabis in Bannister’s case and a further 39 packages containing 19kg of cannabis in Whalley’s case. The drugs in Bannister’s case had an estimated street value of £40,500 and Whalley’s were estimated at £121,500.

Whalley, a nurse who has since been suspended from practice, told officials she believed the packages contained watches. However both women later pleaded guilty to fraudulent evasion of a prohibition and appeared at Preston Crown Court to be sentenced.

The court heard both women were vulnerable to exploitation due to their own personal and financial circumstances. Since their arrest, neither has committed any other offences and Whalley has become a mother to a young baby, the court heard. She also expects to be struck off the nursing register, the court heard.

Judge Richard Archer, sentencing, said: “You were both aware that having travelled from New York to Birmingham via Paris that you had in your respective suitcases a significant quantity of heat sealed bags, containing 35.5kg of cannabis.

“This was not your cannabis but cannabis you were carrying on behalf of another but you were expecting significant financial advantage for doing what you did. You discussed it in relation to this particular trip to New York, with a clear view of the money you were going to make from behaving this way.

“You perhaps had little regard to the seriousness or consequences of your offending. It must have been in the back of your mind that you would be caught but you probably thought very little about sitting in the dock this afternoon.

“I very much hope that you don’t involve yourselves in this behaviour again.”

He sentenced Bannister, now of Cotton Lane, Manchester, to 20 months suspended for 18 months with 30 days rehabilitation activities and 200 hours of unpaid work. Whalley, of Livesey Branch Road, Blackburn, was handed a 16-month sentence suspended for 18 months, with 10 days rehabilitation and 80 hours of unpaid work.

Taking to social media after walking free from the dock, Bannister said: “Thank you for the people who have stood by us [during] truly the most mentally and emotionally challenging times of our life. 15 months of torture. HUGE lessons learnt. A LOT of tears along the way. But stood by each others side no matter what.

“A true friendship which will never be broken which was proven today holding hands not knowing the outcome. Finally some closure and moving forward with our life. Ready for the biggest fresh start and realising how important freedom really is. Levi Whalley no matter what people have said we really have an unbreakable friendship.”