Five men have been arrested after £5million of cannabis was found at an airport.

The men, aged between 21 and 27, were apprehended in Finchley as well as the Marsh Farm area of Luton in the early morning of Wednesday (October 23).

They are suspected of organising the attempted import of the drug a Birmingham Airport in August this year, after 11 passengers from various areas in the UK were arrested.

Those 11 passengers flew into the UK from Thailand through Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.

Since then, they have been bailed, pending further enquiries.

Four of the 11 passengers arrested were from London, including a 30-year-old man from Edmonton, a 21-year-old man from Colliers Wood, a 24-year-old man from Dagenham and a 20-year-old man from Canning Town.

According to the National Crime Agency (NCA), the amount of cannabis seized in the UK so far in 2024 is three times more than the whole of 2023.

NCA Branch Commander Mick Pope said: "The arrests in Luton and London show that we will leave no stone unturned in our hunt for anyone involved in attempts to smuggle cannabis into the UK, regardless of the level they operate at.

"The gangs behind this trade do not care that couriers will likely be arrested and end up in prison – their sole motivation is financial gain.

"Anyone who tries to smuggle drugs into the UK needs to know that they will be identified, arrested and spend time behind bars."