KOH SAMUI — Two additional British nationals have been arrested as part of an ongoing investigation into an international cannabis smuggling operation. This brings the total number of foreign suspects to 15, including 12 British citizens. The latest arrests mark the first outside the airport, with one suspect identified as the manager and planner of the smuggling operation.
Investigation Expansion
On March 18, Police Lieutenant General Panumat Boonyalak, Commander of the Immigration Bureau, revealed that the case began on March 14 when two unclaimed suitcases were discovered during baggage loading at Samui International Airport. Customs officials inspected the luggage and found cannabis flower buds inside. The suitcases had luggage tags identifying the owner as “Mr. Azeem.”
Immigration officers in Surat Thani checked the name against their database and identified Mr. Azeem, a 26-year-old British national staying at a resort on Chaweng Beach, Koh Samui. Officers went to confirm the luggage ownership following customs procedures but couldn’t locate him.
Surveillance and Tracking
Hotel staff reported that Mr. Azeem had left early on March 14, coinciding with the time he checked in at Samui Airport and abandoned the suitcases. Investigators reviewed hotel CCTV footage and discovered that when Mr. Azeem left the hotel, another foreign national had picked him up in a private car.
Further investigation revealed that this friend was staying at a hotel in Mae Nam, Koh Samui, and had arranged for Mr. Azeem to check in for a flight to Hong Kong with a connection to London. However, Mr. Azeem never boarded. Authorities believe he changed his smuggling plan after learning that other British nationals had been arrested while loading cannabis-filled suitcases onto planes, opting instead to return to Bangkok.
Suspicious Behavior and Arrest
On March 17, police learned that Mr. Azeem’s friend, identified as Mr. Darryl, a 30-year-old British national, had exhibited suspicious behavior according to hotel staff. He had stored approximately 12 large suitcases in his room and removed two of them on the morning of March 14 in a black Toyota, coinciding with the timing of their airport trip.
Investigators discovered that after Mr. Azeem’s transport attempt failed, Mr. Darryl hired a black Mitsubishi Pajero and a cargo van to move the remaining 10 suitcases from the hotel. Officers tracked the suspects to Raja Pier and identified themselves as police to inspect the luggage in the cargo van.
Evidence and Charges
The inspection revealed 10 suitcases inside the cargo van, each containing dried cannabis flower buds sealed in odor-proof bags. The driver stated he had been hired by the two foreigners to transport the suitcases from Samui to Bangkok, though the exact destination was unclear.
When officers asked Mr. Darryl, who was in possession of the cannabis, to produce documentation authorizing its transport and possession, he was unable to do so. Officers arrested him and took him to Koh Samui Police Station, seizing the suitcases containing 165 kg of cannabis—a quantity far exceeding what would be reasonable for personal medical use or other legally permitted purposes.
The suspects face charges of possessing controlled herbal plants (cannabis flower buds) for sale or trade without authorization, in violation of the Ministry of Public Health’s announcement regarding controlled herbs (cannabis). Authorities are continuing their investigation to identify other individuals involved in the operation within Thailand.
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