Three men from Cardiff are accused of arranging for two 17-year-old boys to travel to Thailand and act as drug couriers after the youths were reportedly found with 64kg (141lb) of cannabis hidden in their suitcases. The defendants — Levi Coomansingh, Patrick O'Driscoll and Gareth Press — face charges including conspiring to import a Class B drug and counts of arranging travel with a view to exploitation. A fourth defendant, Ffion Bowes-Cavanagh Hooley, also faces drug-import charges. All four are due at Cardiff Crown Court on 4 September; the teenagers remain in custody in Thailand and are being supported by their families and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Cardiff Men Allegedly Sent Teenagers To Thailand As Drug Couriers, Court Hears
The two teenagers who were arrested in June remain in police custody in Thailand [Getty Images]
Three men from Cardiff are accused of trafficking two 17-year-old boys to Thailand to act as drug couriers, a magistrates' court was told.
At Cardiff Magistrates' Court, prosecutors named Levi Coomansingh, Patrick O'Driscoll and Gareth Press as defendants in an investigation into an alleged organised criminal network operating between the UK and Thailand. The court heard the youths were reportedly found attempting to return to the UK with 64kg (141lb) of cannabis "concealed within their suitcases."
The two 17-year-olds, both from Cardiff, were arrested in Thailand in June and remain in custody there. A South Wales Police spokesman said the teenagers are being supported by their families and by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Nicholas Evans, prosecuting, told the court that the inquiry into the cross‑border network led to the arrests of the three men earlier in the week. All three appeared together at the magistrates' hearing and answered only to confirm their names, dates of birth and addresses; they were not asked to enter pleas.
Charges Against The Defendants
Each of the three men is charged with conspiring to fraudulently evade a prohibition on the importation of a Class B drug (allegedly cannabis):
- Levi Coomansingh, 20, of Angelina Street, Cardiff — charged with conspiring to import a Class B drug and with four counts of conspiring to arrange the travel of another with a view to exploitation.
- Patrick O'Driscoll, 30, of Clos Y Rhiw, Cardiff — charged with conspiring to import a Class B drug, four counts of conspiring to arrange travel with a view to exploitation, and an additional charge of possession of a firearm.
- Gareth Press, 42, of Wheatley Road, Cardiff — charged with conspiring to import a Class B drug and two counts of conspiring to arrange travel with a view to exploitation.
Also appearing at the magistrates' court was Ffion Bowes-Cavanagh Hooley, 24, of Clos Y Rhiw, Cardiff, who faces a charge of conspiring to fraudulently evade a prohibition on the importation of a Class B drug. A fifth man — a 23-year-old from Keighley, West Yorkshire — remains on police bail after being arrested on suspicion of improper importation of controlled drugs.
Following the hearing, Coomansingh, O'Driscoll and Press were remanded in custody; Bowes-Cavanagh Hooley was released on conditional bail. All four named defendants are due to appear at Cardiff Crown Court on 4 September.
A South Wales Police spokesman said: "The children remain in custody in Thailand where they are being supported by their families and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The families have been updated regarding the arrests and charges."
This is an ongoing investigation and no plea has been entered by the defendants at this stage.
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