An ethical hacking student studying in Dundee was at the heart of a sophisticated intercontinental cannabis smuggling operation.
Xiang Chen was found guilty of being concerned in the supply of the Class B drug throughout the city between September and December 2022.
Chen was a courier for a shady delivery company which used contentious Chinese messaging software WeChat to communicate with its workers.
Parcels from North America bound for Chen’s operation containing more than 10kg of cannabis were intercepted by the UK Border Force.
Jurors at Forfar Sheriff Court rejected the 23-year-old’s explanation he was just following orders from management and thought he was shifting boxes of cigars.
Drugs interceptions
The court heard that on November 2 2022, East Midlands Airport intercepted a package containing just under 2.9kg of cannabis addressed to another person at Chen’s flat in Victoria Road, Dundee.
A second parcel was seized at the Leicestershire airport that day, addressed to a flat in Peel Street, Dundee.
It contained just over 3.5kg of cannabis.
Exactly a week later, a package addressed to a property in South Tay Street, Dundee, was seized at another UK Border Force international logistics centre.
Inside was just over 980g of cannabis.
More cannabis was seized two days later at the Langley International Logistics Centre – the Royal Mail sorting office close to Heathrow Airport.
Just over 1.2kg of the drug was found in a package addressed to the same Peel Street flat.
Messages probed
Giving evidence in the trial, Chen explained his job was to pick up parcels from recipients in Dundee – including at the Peel Street and South Tay Street addresses.
He would pay them around £30 and deliver the packages to a man waiting at the city railway station.
Police analysed WeChat messages – controversial software previously been banned in various countries and until January on the USA’s “Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy” list – sent to and by Chen.
On October 11 in 2022, Chen posted a photograph on the app of a letter sent to an address in Peddie Street.
The letter – a notice of seizure of controlled drugs from Inland Border Command – confirmed just over 1.6kg of cannabis destined for the flat had been intercepted by authorities.
When asked by prosecutor Lee Corr if this made him suspicious about what he was delivering, Chen said: “I was not really certain.
“I was asking the boss man what to do. They told me don’t worry about it.
“He’s my upper level and I just follow instructions. If he says it’s okay, I follow.”
In late October, a message was sent from a package recipient in the city who said she feared a parcel sent to her from Canada contained drugs.
The photo showed the breached package with herbal matter inside.
Despite receiving strict instructions not to open boxes from “HR” over WeChat, Chen was ultimately paid double for delivering the “spoiled” parcel.
In late November, Chen was then made aware of another package seized by customs.
Its expected recipient sent him a screenshot of a Royal Mail message stating it had been withheld.
When he was arrested in April 2023, Chen told police he thought the boxes contained cigars.
Found guilty
Defence counsel John Brannigan told the jury: “Drug dealers do not operate with HR departments. There’s taxes, payslips… we’re not dealing with a criminal mastermind.”
After a six-day trial, the majority of jurors convicted Chen of being concerned in the supply of cannabis after an hour of deliberations.
Throughout his trial, Chen was aided in the dock by a Mandarin interpreter.
The first offender will be sentenced on March 27 once reports have been prepared. His bail was continued.
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