A social media influencer who promoted Glasgow’s nightlife and beauty treatments to thousands of online followers is facing a potential prison sentence after admitting her role in an attempt to smuggle more than £150,000 worth of cannabis through Edinburgh Airport.
Ellie Crampsie, 23, was stopped by Border Force officers in April last year after arriving on a flight from Thailand via Paris. The prosecutor, Emma Laing, told Edinburgh Sheriff Court that when officers opened the influencer’s luggage, they found a number of vacuum packages inside. In total, she was found with 17 separate sealed packs containing approximately 17.7kg of the Class B drug, with an estimated street value of between £115,000 and £151,000.
The Legal Road Ahead
Crampsie, of Broomhouse, Glasgow, who runs a beauty business called “Brows by Ellie,” pleaded guilty on March 26 to being concerned in the supply of cannabis. Sheriff Graeme Watson has adjourned sentencing to allow for the preparation of a criminal justice social work report and a restriction of liberty assessment, stating that all sentencing options remain open.
The charge to which she has admitted is a serious one. Under UK drug laws, cannabis is classified as a Class B substance. While the maximum penalty for possession is five years imprisonment, the offence of being concerned in the supply carries a potential maximum sentence of 14 years in prison and an unlimited fine. The court’s decision to call for reports suggests it is considering a range of outcomes, from a community-based order to a custodial sentence, and will weigh factors including her personal circumstances. Her defence lawyer described her previous record as “unremarkable in the context of this offence” and noted she had the support of her parents.
A Route Under Scrutiny
Crampsie’s case highlights a significant and growing trend identified by UK authorities. Thailand has become a major source country for cannabis smuggled into Britain, a shift attributed to a loosening of narcotics legislation in the Southeast Asian nation. The UK Home Office reports that in 2025 alone, approximately 640 of the 800 drug mules apprehended at UK airports had travelled from Thailand, a sharp rise from previous years.
In response, the UK launched Operation Chaophraya in July 2024, a collaboration between the Home Office, Border Force, the National Crime Agency, and Thai customs aimed at intercepting the flow. The operation has had some success, including a reported 90% reduction in cannabis arriving by post from Thailand in early 2025. Border Force itself reported a record year for seizures up to March 2025, with over 66,000 interceptions. Cannabis featured in 93% of all drug seizures, with more than 62,000 illegal imports of the drug stopped.
The agency also employs a “Seize and Return” policy for foreign nationals caught smuggling cannabis, which has seen 165 individuals responsible for smuggling over four tonnes of the drug returned to their country of origin. The scale of the challenge is underscored by the estimated value of the UK’s illegal cannabis market, which stands at approximately £2.6 billion annually.
Crampsie’s case follows other high-profile incidents involving similar routes. Last year, 22-year-old mother Poppie Kudieersky received a two-year suspended sentence after claiming traffickers threatened to murder her child unless she smuggled £285,000 worth of cannabis from Thailand into Manchester Airport. The use of social media by criminal networks to discreetly advertise and coordinate drug sales using code words and emojis is also a growing concern for law enforcement, raising questions about the environment in which influencers like Crampsie operate.
