Drug Mule Tied to Jay Slater's Last Known Contact Jailed in UK Cannabis Smuggling Plot

Paige Crisp, 24, has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for her involvement in a large-scale cannabis smuggling operation that brought £13 million worth of the drug into the UK.

Crisp was part of a group of 11 Britons apprehended by Border Force officers at Birmingham Airport on August 9, 2024. The group was found with 460 kilograms of cannabis concealed within 22 suitcases, with each individual carrying two suitcases containing 20 kilograms of vacuum-packed cannabis and a thin layer of clothing. Apple AirTag trackers were also found inside the suitcases, all linked to a single Apple ID.

Crisp is married to Ayub Qassim, 33, who was the last person known to have seen Jay Slater alive before the 19-year-old vanished in Tenerife in June 2024. Slater was later found to have died from accidental head injuries and severe trauma after falling down a ravine.

Qassim, who has a prior conviction for drug offenses and served nine years in prison, had invited Slater back to his rented holiday cottage after a rave. He stated that Slater left his accommodation alive, intending to catch a bus. An inquest determined Slater's death to be accidental.

Crisp, a cleaner from Malvern, Worcestershire, was convicted of attempting to carry, remove, deposit, harbour, keep, conceal, and deal with Class B drugs with the intent to evade import prohibition. She and the gang had paid extra baggage fees to transport the cannabis from Thailand, flying via Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris before their arrest.

Qassim, of Somali heritage, and Crisp reportedly married in a traditional Islamic wedding in Thailand, the same country from which the cannabis was smuggled. Social media posts show Qassim and Crisp in wedding attire and traveling to various locations, including Saudi Arabia. Qassim had previously been the ringleader of a London-based gang importing heroin and crack cocaine into Cardiff, for which he received a nine-year and nine-month sentence.

Other members of the smuggling group also received significant sentences. Jaden Ramen, 23, was jailed for 32 months. Gideon Oluwasetemi Olumoyegun, Ryan Boachie, and Claire McCullough were each sentenced to two years in prison. McCullough received an additional two-month sentence for assaulting a shop worker.

Paul Boniface, senior investigating officer at the National Crime Agency, stated that the couriers face prison time and life-altering convictions that will impact future career and travel prospects. He emphasized that the sentences serve as a warning against such activities, highlighting the high price paid.