A 23-year-old California woman has been sentenced to prison in the United Kingdom after attempting to smuggle $1 million worth of crack cocaine hidden inside a giant wheel of Parmesan cheese.
Jamie Choi, a U.S. national from California, was caught by UK Border Force agents at Heathrow Airport on May 25 after arriving on a flight from Brazil.
Officials say she was carrying a 17-pound wheel of Parmesan, which on inspection was discovered to be concealing nearly 8 kilograms of crack cocaine, valued at over £800,000 ($1.02 million).
Authorities revealed that Choi’s travel history raised immediate suspicion. Just days before arriving in London, she:
- Flew from Los Angeles to Lima, Peru, on May 20.
- Traveled to Asuncion, Paraguay, the next day.
- Stayed in South America until May 24.
- Finally boarded a flight from São Paulo, Brazil, to London Heathrow.
When questioned about the unusual Parmesan purchase, Choi claimed a friend suggested she bring the cheese back from Peru “to try.”
But when Border Force officers tested the wheel, they found it contained cocaine that was 94% pure.
Inside Choi’s handbag, officers discovered a notebook with a handwritten entry dated May 21. It read:
“I dropped out of [University of California Santa Barbara] on Monday. Currently I am in Paraguay in South America solo travelling for the first time. It’s been amazing so far.”
The note painted a picture of a young woman documenting her solo adventure abroad, but investigators say it highlighted her unusual and rushed travel pattern.
On August 6, 2025, Choi pleaded guilty at Isleworth Crown Court to charges of importing Class A drugs. She was sentenced to five years and three months in prison.
Barry Vinall, Senior Officer with the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), emphasized the consequences of drug trafficking:
“We’ve seen people trying to smuggle cocaine hidden inside all kinds of everyday items. Smuggling drugs into the UK is simply not worth the risk.”
Source: MSN, New York Post