Know all the details about the arrest of Canadian volleyball youngster Raekelle Powell
Raekelle Powell, a professional volleyball player who represented Canada on the international stage, was recently sentenced in Britain for attempting to smuggle 19 kilograms of cannabis into the country. The 22-year-old athlete was apprehended by UK border agents at Heathrow Airport on Sept. 20 after arriving from Toronto. British authorities estimate that the seized cannabis, which was tightly vacuum-sealed in her luggage, holds a street value exceeding one million dollars.
Who is Raekelle Powell as Canadian national volleyball team player is arrested for smuggling drugs into the UK via Heathrow airport
Nationality: Canada
Position: Outside Hitter
Birthdate:2002-04-07
Height: 177cm
Age 22 Canadian volleyball player Powell’s case follows another headline-grabbing incident involving a Canadian athlete. Former Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding was recently identified as a major player in a transnational cocaine-trafficking ring accused of funneling drugs from Colombia through Mexico and California to Canada. Two other Canadians, Christopher Duffell and Tania Fetherston, face charges for carrying 30.7 and 34.7 kilograms of cannabis, respectively, after arriving from Toronto.
Who is Raekelle Powel?
When questioned, Powell claimed she had been paid $300 to carry the suitcase. She promptly pleaded guilty and received a 15-month prison sentence at Isleworth Crown Court in London. Powell hails from Toronto and attended high school in Brampton. Known for her skills as an outside hitter, she played on Canada’s under-19 volleyball team, which earned a silver medal at the NORCECA Championship in 2018, defeating powerhouse Cuba.
She pleaded guilty at previous court hearings and at Isleworth Crown Court on October 24 Powell was sentenced to 15 months in prison. At the same court on October 25, Wong was sentenced to 16 months imprisonment and on Wednesday McAtavey was sentenced to 20 months.
Her arrest occurred amid a wave of cannabis-smuggling attempts at London’s airports. Within a span of two days, UK authorities detained 11 individuals attempting to transport 300 kilograms of cannabis through Heathrow and Gatwick airports. On the same day as Powell’s arrest, three others were taken into custody, followed by seven more the following day.
A female volleyball pro is one three people jailed over seperate attempts to smuggle more than £3million of cannabis into the UK via Heathrow.
Raekelle Powell, 22, was stopped when officers discovered 19 kilos of the Class B drug with a street value of £600,000 in her luggage.… pic.twitter.com/XRc2TaGjVL— Craig in England (@ghost_wales) November 1, 2024
British authorities have observed a surge in cannabis smuggling by travelers arriving from countries where the drug is legal, such as Canada, the USA, and Thailand. Organized crime networks exploit these legal markets to source cannabis for illegal distribution in regions like the UK, where the drug’s street value is considerably higher.