Influencer, 23, who tried to smuggle cannabis worth £150,000 into Britain through airport after Thailand trip is jailed for 16 months

An influencer caught trying to smuggle £150,000 of cannabis into the UK has been jailed for 16 months.

Ellie Crampsie, from Glasgow, was found with 17 kilos of Class B drugs in her luggage when she landed at Edinburgh Airport on April 16, 2025.

The 23-year-old, who is prolific on social media, had returned from Thailand via Paris on an Air France flight before being stopped by Border Force officers.

The influencer promoted many brands on the Glasgow nightlife and events scene, as well as running her own beauty business called Brows by Ellie, specializing in styling and grooming.

She claimed she was forced to carry a large quantity of drugs by an ex-boyfriend and a sheriff admitted she was ‘naïve and potentially exploited’.

Crampsie, of Broomhouse in Glasgow, admitted he was concerned about the supply of a controlled drug at Edinburgh Airport when he appeared at the capital’s sheriff court last month.

Lawyer Michael Poggi said his client played a ‘lesser role’ in the drugs operation and there was ‘evidence of pressure’ from others.

Mr Poggi said: ‘The truth is that other parties have not come through here [the airport] did not make contact at the same time or afterwards.

The social media phenomenon was found with 17 kilos of cannabis hidden in his luggage when he landed in Edinburgh on April 16, 2025

‘There was the influence of a much older person who had control over my client.’

The court was told airport officials discovered 17 separate sealed packages containing 17.7kg of cannabis, estimated to be worth between £115,000 and £151,000.

Passing sentence, Sheriff Graeme Watson told Crampsie: ‘You have pleaded guilty under section 76 in relation to the supply of cannabis, a Class B drug.

‘You were stopped by border control officers with a bag containing more than 17 kilograms of cannabis in vacuum-sealed packages with a street value of up to £151,000.

‘I have carefully reviewed the criminal justice social work report and the mitigation request on your behalf.

‘I accept on your behalf your statement of lesser guilt.

‘You knew your ex-partner was involved in drugs and asked you to check his luggage, which included women’s clothing.

‘Your role was to carry the cannabis in your luggage and I accept that there was an imbalance of power in the relationship.’

Crampsie, 23, a prolific social media influencer, claimed he was forced to transport drugs under the “influence of a much older person”, his lawyer told the court

The sheriff added that Crampsie’s behavior in transporting drugs was ‘reckless’ but accepted that he was ‘naïve and potentially exploited’.

Sheriff Watson sentenced Crampsie to 16 months in prison, saying he had no choice but to impose a custodial sentence.

The court was previously told Crampsie was flying from Thailand to the Scottish capital via Paris on an Air France flight when he was stopped by Border Force officers on April 16 last year.

Fiscal depute Emma Laing said: ‘He was asked the usual questions by the officer and confirmed he was traveling from Thailand.

‘The boot had been opened and inside were some vacuum packs.’

The number of Britons caught smuggling drugs into the country from abroad has increased rapidly in recent years.

Latest figures published by the National Crime Agency have revealed that passengers caught smuggling on airlines have increased by 3,625 per cent.

As recently as 2022, there were as few as 20 air passengers arrested for attempting to import marijuana.

But in 2023, the figure was 134, and the following year, 745 airport passengers were arrested.

In the first nine months of 2025, 680 air passengers were detained for marijuana smuggling.