A pregnant drugs mule who attempted to smuggle 22.5kg of cannabis into Britain has avoided jail after explaining she needed the money for a house deposit.

Daniella KanKam-Adu, 19, was offered £250 to smuggle cannabis worth £225,000 from Canada to Newcastle Airport on March 3 this year.

The London resident, from Queens Road, claimed she believed her luggage contained vapes, but Border Force officers quickly discovered the Class B drug inside.

When questioned by airport officials about her luggage, KanKam-Adu insisted she packed it herself and that it contained nothing suspicious.

Prosecutor Kevin Wardlaw told Newcastle Crown Court: “When asked to open one item of luggage, she said she didn’t have the key. She became aware the locks would be forced and her attitude changed, becoming obstructive and making comments to the officer. The officer was conducting a routine random check and was not being racist.”

The suitcase was found to contain 22.5 kilograms of cannabis, valued at around £67,500 wholesale and with a street value of approximately £225,000.

KanKam-Adu pleaded guilty to being involved in the fraudulent evasion of the prohibition on importing cannabis.

Prosecutors accepted her plea that a friend had suggested she could make money by bringing vapes back to the UK without paying tax.

She explained that she was told she would be paid £250 to carry out the task and traveled to Toronto on tickets provided to her, following instructions.

She said she was given a suitcase to bring back and, due to its size and weight, suspected it contained cannabis rather than vapes.

KanKam-Adu admitted she didn’t know the value of the drugs but decided to return anyway because she needed the money and already had a plane ticket.

Defence lawyer Glenn Gatland told the court KanKam-Adu had a difficult childhood, including time spent in a care home. He added that she discovered she was pregnant before the offence and was determined that her child would not experience a similar upbringing.

Mr Gatland said KanKam-Adu needed money for a deposit on a home and was “naive” to agree to the plan suggested by her friend.

He also revealed she had been remanded in custody for three months, during which time she suffered a miscarriage.

“She has spent three months in custody, which will serve as a deterrent to her to avoid trouble in the future,” Mr Gatland concluded.