KOH SAMUI — In the latest of a series of arrests, authorities at Samui Airport have detained four European travelers attempting to smuggle dried cannabis flower out of Thailand. The arrests on Thursday evening involved nationals from Romania, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, caught with seven suitcases containing 110 kg of vacuum-sealed cannabis.
The arrests came just after authorities had already apprehended four British nationals and one Malaysian citizen with a total of 144 kg of cannabis.
On March 14, the Koh Samui Provincial Court sentenced nine foreigners who were arrested for smuggling dried cannabis flower on March 12 and 13 to four months in prison each, without suspension.
Dutch National Detained
Regarding the arrest of 4 new suspects on March 13, beginning at approximately 4:30 p.m., airport officials alerted Bophut Police, Customs officers, Tourist Police, and Immigration authorities after detecting suspicious contents in two suitcases belonging to Mr. Modest, a 57-year-old Dutch national, and another luggage belonging to a British traveler. The two men were scheduled to travel from Samui to Singapore with a final destination of Munich, Germany.
Initially, Mr. Modest denied ownership of the luggage, but airport staff confirmed the bags were registered under his name and ticket. After being taken to Bophut Police Station for questioning, he admitted the suitcases were his. He confessed that while staying at the Win Hotel on Koh Samui, a Thai man had delivered two suitcases containing vacuum-sealed cannabis flower to him for transport to Munich.
Modest and the British national acknowledged their guilt on charges of attempting to export goods that had not cleared customs procedures, violating the Protection and Promotion of Thai Traditional Medicine Act, and contravening the Ministry of Public Health’s controlled herb (cannabis) regulations. The total weight of cannabis seized from them was 56 kg.
Romanian Traveler Apprehended
An hour later, at 5:30 p.m., officials inspected two suitcases belonging to Mr. David, a 48-year-old Romanian national traveling from Samui to Hong Kong with London as his final destination. His luggage contained dried cannabis flower weighing 47.36 kg.
Like the Dutch traveler, David initially denied ownership of the suitcases but eventually confessed after being taken to Bophut Police Station. He provided similar information, stating that a Thai man had given him two suitcases containing vacuum-sealed cannabis flower to deliver to London.
British Man Caught Using Same Method
At 6:00 p.m., airport officials discovered a British man using the same smuggling method, with two suitcases containing dried cannabis flower. He was checking in for a flight from Samui to Singapore with London as his final destination.
The British suspect revealed that he had been invited to Thailand with the offer of free travel, accommodation, and meals on the condition that he would transport suitcases containing dried cannabis flower on his return journey. He stated that a Thai person had delivered the suitcases to his hotel, with communication conducted via Snapchat. He was promised payment upon delivery of the suitcases to their destination.
Meanwhile, police investigators revealed on March 14 that they had identified a suspicious pickup truck carrying items covered with black canvas, traveling from Bang Len district in Nakhon Pathom province to Koh Samui, Surat Thani province. They also discovered a white SUV that had delivered suitcases matching those seized to the suspects at a hotel on Koh Samui. This matter is currently under further investigation.
Traffickers Target Thai Cannabis Policy Loophole
The investigation team’s analysis reveals that since the Thai government removed cannabis from the narcotics list on June 9, 2022, to liberalize cannabis policy, foreign criminal networks have exploited this opportunity to export cannabis from Thailand. These operations specifically target smaller airports with less stringent security than Suvarnabhumi Airport. If the cannabis successfully reaches the UK, its value increases several times over.
In early August 2024, the British Embassy in Thailand published a statement from the National Crime Agency (NCA) warning tourists traveling from Thailand, Canada, and the United States that smuggling cannabis into the United Kingdom carries prison sentences.
This came after detecting a significant increase in smuggling attempts from these three countries, with Thailand being identified as the primary source country for cannabis trafficking into the United Kingdom.
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