Torquay man jailed for importing £7m of cannabis

A South Devon man who imported cannabis worth around £7 million has been jailed for five years.

Leon Day, 49, previously of Warren Road, Torquay, pleaded guilty to importing the drugs into the UK in 2025, hidden in shipments of incontinence pants, wood, latex gloves and car seats.

He appeared at Exeter Crown Court on 9 February, where he was sentenced for what the judge described as “calculated and selfish crimes”.

Day imported the cannabis in three separate shipments from Singapore. The first, intercepted by UK Border Force (UKBF) in July 2025, contained 40 kg of cannabis hidden among boxes of adult incontinence pants.

Police from Devon & Cornwall’s South Devon Proactive Unit, assisted by UKBF, traced the shipment to a business registered to Day in Newton Abbot. Officers were aware that further shipments were expected at UK ports.

The second shipment, intercepted in October 2025, contained around 270 kg of cannabis concealed inside pallets of stacked wood. A third shipment in November, discovered while Day was on remand, contained approximately 400 kg of cannabis hidden in boxes of latex gloves and car seats.

In total, more than 700 kg of cannabis with a street value of over £7 million was seized during the operation. All of the drugs have since been destroyed.

When arrested, Day told officers: “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He was charged and admitted two counts of being concerned in the fraudulent evasion of a prohibition on importing a Class B drug for the first two shipments. He was not formally charged in relation to the third container, but admitted the offence and it was considered in his sentencing.

Detective Chief Inspector Becky Davies said: “We welcome the sentencing of Leon Day for these calculated and selfish crimes. Day would have carried out a significant amount of planning to facilitate the importation and delivery of these drugs.

“The impact of drugs supply and use within communities has a significant impact and causes so much hidden harm, and the facilitation of that by people like Day will not be tolerated.

“If you have information about suspicious illegal drug activity, please report it to help us build up the wider picture of illegal drugs activity taking place in our communities.”

Drug-related activity can be reported to police through non-emergency channels or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.