‘Law-abiding and honest’ man arrested at Manchester Airport after committing crime

He is the “honest” and “law-abiding” man who admitted making a “serious error of judgment” after he was arrested at Manchester Airport while trying to smuggle cannabis worth £200,000 into the country.

Marcus Montoya said he was “introduced to a third party” who informed him of the deal after he found himself in “desperate financial straits”. Montoya, a US citizen, said he would receive $6,000 if he was successful. But he was pulled aside by border police at Terminal 1 of the airport, and agents discovered his two suitcases contained 33 kilos of the Class B drug.

He is currently in a British prison after being sentenced to 16 months in jail. The Home Office is due to decide whether he will be deported to his home country after serving his sentence.

LEARN MORE: Finally, the full truth about Greater Manchester teacher Rebecca Joynes’ sex crimes can be revealed

April Lamai, representing the prosecution, told how Montoya arrived in Manchester on April 30 from Munich, Germany, after flying from California. His two suitcases were examined by Border Force officers and found to contain a series of vacuum-packed packages.

It was later confirmed that the suitcase contained 33.42 kilos of the Class B drug. Montoya told the officer he had travelled to Manchester for a friend’s wedding. He said he had packed his bags himself and confirmed they belonged to him. His lawyer later said he had been asked to say this to “dispel suspicion”.

But Montoya admitted he knew the suitcases contained cannabis, although he later said he did not know how much. He refused to give police the PIN number for his cellphone.

Steven Sullivan defended Montoya, saying he had never had any problems with police in the UK or his native America. He added that Montoya had suffered “three significant physical blows” in the past year.

His eight-year relationship broke down, he lost his job after his employer closed down and he was evicted from his home after falling into rent arrears, the court was told. “It was against this backdrop that he felt he was in dire financial straits,” Mr Sullivan said.

He said Montoya was “introduced to a third party” who told him about the “scheme.” He added that Montoya found the offer “tempting” because it seemed like “easy money.”

“That’s not the code he’s been taught since he was a child,” Sullivan said. “He made a serious error in judgment, those are his own words.”

Sullivan said Montoya was told he would receive the money when he returned to the United States, and that he never received any cash. “I fully accept that in your 34 years you have lived nothing but an honest, law-abiding life,” Montoya told Judge Sarah Johnston. “You are incredibly well-regarded and loved.”

“It is a shock to those who know you that you have committed this kind of offence. The decision of a person of your rank and good character to commit such an offence can really only be described as a moment of madness. But you did so knowingly.”

Montoya, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to participating in the fraudulent evasion of a ban on the importation of a class B drug. He was sentenced to 16 months in prison. He will serve half of his sentence in prison before the Home Office decides whether to deport him to the United States.