London woman found with 70 pounds of marijuana at Logan Airport charged with trafficking marijuana

BOSTON, May 14, 2024 – A London woman was ordered held on $1,500 bail Monday after U.S. Customs and Border agents seized approximately 70 pounds of marijuana on Sunday before her flight back to the United Kingdom, making this the second passenger flying to the U.K. arrested at Logan Airport for trafficking marijuana in the last two months, District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.

FAREEDAT FOLUNSHO, 19, of London, was charged in East Boston BMC with trafficking marijuana between 50 and 100 pounds. Judge Joseph Griffin ordered Folunsho held on $1,500 bail and to surrender her passport. Folunsho will return to court on May 21 for a probable cause hearing.

At about 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, a Massachusetts state trooper was dispatched to the U.S. Customs Hall for a woman in custody, later identified as Folunsho, for attempting to fly back to the United Kingdom with approximately 70 pounds of marijuana.

Folunsho is the second individual who has attempted to fly to the U.K. to be arrested and charged with trafficking marijuana between 50 and 100 pounds from Logan Airport since April.

Marijuana is illegal in the United Kingdom, where it has an illicit-market street value of about $5,000 per pound.

Last month, a Michigan woman was arrested and charged with trafficking marijuana in East Boston BMC after U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents seized two large suitcases containing multiple vacuum-seal bags with approximately 74 pounds of marijuana.

“These two arrests in a fairly short time span should make it quite clear to anyone else trying to fly marijuana to the U.K. through Boston that it’s not a good idea, to say the least. It didn’t work for these two women and it’s not likely to work for anyone else either,” Hayden said.

All charged individuals are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, Mass. The office handles over 20,000 cases a year. More than 160 attorneys in the office practice in nine district and municipal courts, Suffolk Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Supreme Judicial Court, and the Boston Juvenile Courts. The office employs some 300 people and offers a wide range of services and programs to serve anyone who comes in contact with the criminal justice system. This office is committed to educating the public about the services we provide, our commitment to crime prevention, and our dedication to keeping the residents of Suffolk County safe.

James Borghesani, Chief of Communications