A MAN who used a farm unit at Ipplepen as part of a cannabis smuggling operation has been jailed for five years.

Leon Day played a leading role in bringing £7 million worth of cannabis into the country - in consignments of nappies.

He naively used his own e mail, phone and business front details for the cannabis shipments to be delivered to his unit on a farm at Ipplepen, a court heard.

In all 712 kilograms of cannabis was shipped into Britain via airports and docks and the consignments on pallets also containing timber, child car seats, gloves and the nappies.

Exeter Crown Court was told that the cannabis had a street value of just under £7 million and a wholesale value of £2.1 million.

Prosecutor Herc Ashworth said three separate consignments were sent from Singapore in July, October and November 2025.

Builder Day, of Warren Road, Torquay, Devon, set up a motor repair unit on the Ipplepen farm as a front where the shipments were to be delivered for onward distribution.

Day made no comment when arrested but cash and dealer details were found at his home in Torquay.

The court heard Border Force made a random search at Stansted airport to discover the first consignment, and the later ones were intercepted at Southampton and London and they had Apple airtags on them to track their passage by the organised crime gang.

Day, 49, admitted two charges of cannabis smuggling and asked for one other to be taken into consideration and was jailed for five years.

Defence lawyer Warren Robinson said naive Day was expendable by those in the chain above him.

He said: ‘How easy was it for him to be exposed. He made no attempt to disguise it at all.

‘He was hung out to dry by the gang. He understands it was a huge quantity he was bringing into the country.’

Judge David Evans said a Proceeds of Crime confiscation hearing will be held later.