Border Force found cannabis packages hidden among dog biscuits in parcel bound for South Tyneside

Border Force officials inspected the parcel, that had been sent from Spain and was destined for Hebburn, and found packages of cannabis hidden among loose dog biscuits inside.

The cannabis weighed a total of 1.69 kilos and would have been worth up to £10,500 if sold on the streets.

Newcastle Crown Court heard the officers who had intercepted the package, which was marked as containing "tinned foods and meat", at Gatwick airport in August 2020 alerted police, who made a replica parcel for onward delivery to Hebburn.

An undercover police officer then took the decoy package to Jordan Campbell, whose name and address was on the original parcel.

The court heard Campbell was later seen leaving the house with the package and arrested.

He told the officers "don't know what this is" but later admitted he had been asked to hold the parcel, which he knew would contain cannabis but not how much, for someone else, who he refused to name.

Campbell also confessed he had cocaine in the house, which he would use to supply to friends so he could support his own habit.

Police seized a total of 9.86g of cocaine, worth up to £1,000, which Campbell had told them was in a bedroom wardrobe.

Messages found on his mobile phone showed he had been dealing for less than a fortnight.

Campbell, 25, of Cressida Gardens, Hebburn, admitted possessing a class A drug with intent to supply and being concerned in the supply of a class B drug.

Mr Recorder Andrew Latimer sentenced him to 22 months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, with 250 hours unpaid work.

The judge said he accepted Campbell showed a "degree of naivety" in agreeing to accept the cannabis parcel but added: "The reality is, you are a grown man and you knew you were involved in drugs".

Gavin Doig, defending, said Campbell, who has a job and is a dad, has been in no trouble before or since the offences two years ago.

Mr Doig added: "At this time, in 2020, he was taking cocaine and he found himself in debt and made the foolish decision, for a short period of time, to involve himself in the supply of cocaine."