A woman caught attempting to smuggle £240,000 worth of synthetic cannabis into Jersey concealed inside her car’s spare tyre claimed: “I didn’t know we had a bloody spare wheel.”
Kirsten Abernethy (40) was sentenced to three years in prison by the Royal Court yesterday after admitting to importing 9.6kg of the Class B drug ‘ADB-BUTINACA’.
A Kia, a fellow passenger, and a dog…
Abernethy arrived in Jersey aboard a ferry on 26 April, driving a red Kia Sportage and accompanied by another person and a dog.
She told Customs officers that they were visiting the Island on holiday for the first time to attend the a food festival and see the beaches.
The pair claimed the dog belonged to them and explained that they had driven from Manchester, rather than flown, so they could bring it along.
But messages later recovered from Abernethy’s phone revealed that she had arranged to borrow Willow the dog from a friend for the weekend.
The travellers said they planned to stay at the Beachcombers Hotel – although they had not made a booking.
During a search, officers noticed a smell of cannabis in the boot and found that the spare wheel was unusually heavy.
An X-ray revealed objects concealed inside it, and officers deflated and cut open the tyre to uncover 100 bars of green-brown resin wrapped in yellow film bearing an image of a camel.
On being arrested, Abernethy said: “I didn’t know we had a spare wheel. I didn’t know we had a bloody spare wheel.”
Potentially more potent
The material weighed 9.7kg, of which 9.6kg was found to contain ADB-BUTINACA.
Synthetic cannabinoids mimic the effects of THC but can be significantly more potent and unpredictable than natural cannabis.
Abernethy admitted agreeing to act as a courier to satisfy a substantial drug debt. She accepted suspecting that the vehicle contained illegal substances but said she did not know their nature, quantity or value.
Jersey Customs and Immigration Service senior manager Luke Goddard praised the “professionalism” of the Island’s border teams.
He added: “The synthetic cannabis seized is reported as being significantly more harmful and dangerous than natural cannabis and therefore it is particularly pleasing that we have managed to prevent this drug from reaching the streets of Jersey.”
Information about drug smuggling can be reported anonymously on 0800 976 2222.
