Two men have been sentenced to over five years in jail after attempting to smuggle almost £600,000 worth of cannabis into Scotland.

Jamaal Darbasie, 27, and George Manton, 19, were stopped by UK Border Force officers at Glasgow Airport after arriving on a flight from Toronto, Canada, on 10 March last year.

Each man had two suitcases, which were found to contain cannabis concealed within 120 vacuum-sealed packages, prosecutors said. Specialists estimated the Class B drugs would have a street value of £592,716 if divided and sold.

The pair pleaded guilty to involvement in the supply of controlled drugs at the High Court in Glasgow last month.

Darbasie was jailed for three years when he was sentenced at the High Court in Inverness on Wednesday, while Manton was ordered to spend 30 months behind bars, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said.

Moira Orr, who leads on major crime for COPFS, said: “This was a substantial attempt to bring a significant quantity of illegal and harmful drugs through Scotland.

“Jamaal Darbasie and George Manton have now been held accountable thanks to an extensive Border Force operation, working with COPFS, to investigate and interrupt a network of drug supply.

“With each case of this kind we can help reduce the harm that these drugs inflict on communities.

“We are targeting all people who threaten communities across Scotland, not only drug couriers but also those who direct their movements.”

Border Force officers stopped Darbasie and Manton, both of Harlow, Essex, in the nothing-to-declare lane at the airport’s arrivals zone last year.

Their suitcases were searched and the drugs, which weighed 60 kilograms in total, were discovered inside the sealed packages, prosecutors said.

Each of the cases also contained an Apple AirTag tracker device, COPFS said.