Gang smuggled £2 million worth of cannabis hidden in mattresses

Three men have been sentenced to prison for smuggling £2 million worth of cannabis from Canada into the UK, concealed in mattresses.

A total of 334kg of cannabis was hidden inside a shipping container and transported by boat to Liverpool docks. The drugs were then driven by lorry to a storage unit in Widnes, Cheshire, where police were waiting to arrest the smugglers.

Weiji Chen, 29, John Kinsella, 34, and his brother Luke Kinsella, 23, were detained by Cheshire Police in January. At Liverpool Crown Court, Chen and John Kinsella admitted to importing and supplying cannabis between September 2023 and January 2024. Chen was sentenced to seven years in prison, while Kinsella received six years and six months. Luke Kinsella pleaded guilty to being involved in the supply of cannabis and was sentenced to four years.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) revealed that the group concealed the drugs inside mattresses placed within bed frames. Eight frames contained 668 sealed packages of cannabis, with a total weight of 334kg, which were moved to a storage facility on January 15.

According to the CPS, Chen, of Birchfield Road, Liverpool, organised the smuggling operation, working with John Kinsella, of St Julien Drive, Liverpool, one of his regular buyers. Senior Crown Prosecutor Olivia Cristinacce-Travis stated, "Over several months, Weiji Chen and John Kinsella were involved in importing cannabis into Liverpool docks on an industrial scale, with a street value exceeding £2 million."