British authorities have requested that Thai police arrest Britons involved in smuggling cannabis back to the UK, offering them a free vacation in Thailand along with pocket money.
Police Lieutenant General Phanurat Lukboon, secretary-general of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB), disclosed this information to journalists on Wednesday.
He noted that, last month, British Ambassador Mark Gooding introduced officials from the UK’s National Crime Agency to the ONCB. They sought cooperation to prevent the smuggling of cannabis into Britain.
The delegation explained that drug traffickers were using the Telegram chat app to recruit people in Britain by promising free trips to Thailand and pocket money if they agreed to smuggle cannabis back to Britain.
Police Lieutenant General Phanurat mentioned that British authorities have intercepted hundreds of kilograms of cannabis smuggled from Thailand, with the amount increasing significantly this year.
“These people recruited in Britain are not deceived. They are enticed with free tours, accommodation, and meals in Thailand, plus pocket money, in exchange for their agreement to bring cannabis back to Britain,” he said.
He added that narcotics officials have already started investigating the issue.
Police Lieutenant General Phanurat also noted that, on Monday, a parcel declared as containing a dietary supplement was found to contain 210 grams of a precursor used to manufacture ecstasy.
The parcel had been sent from the UK to a British and a Dutch national residing in Bangkok.
Upon searching their condominium and house in Bangkok, officials found 36 kg of sealed cannabis, packaging materials, and 1.4 kg of cannabis resin containing an illegal concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
Prin Mekanandha, ONCB director of narcotics law enforcement, stated that the two individuals had entered Thailand as tourists about four months ago and were suspected of sourcing cannabis to smuggle back to Britain.
The cannabis was prepared to be sent to Britain in parcels falsely declared as containing pillows, according to Mr. Prin.
He also stated that the cannabis was supplied to individuals from Britain and other countries who were recruited via the Telegram app and did not require visas to enter Britain.
These individuals concealed the cannabis in their luggage before returning to Britain, Mr. Prin explained.
