Koh Samui Customs seizes 140kg of dried cannabis flowers destined for UK
SEIZED AT Koh Samui International Airport were seven suitcases belonging to five foreign passengers packed with 140 kilogrammes of dried cannabis flowers in vacuum-sealed bags, worth approximately 4 million baht, heading for Singapore then onwards to UK, Naewna newspaper said this morning (March 13).
Pol. Col. Den Duang Thongsrisuk, superintendent of Bo Phut police station, was notified by Mr. Rueangyot Tokamoltham, chief of Koh Samui Customs checkpoint, that suspicious objects had been spotted in seven suitcases when screened by the baggage X-ray with a police team then quickly rushing to the airport.
After that police took the five unidentified foreign passengers, two British men, two British women and a Malaysian man, and the seven suitcases to the police station and coordinated with Surat Thani Immigration Bureau and Koh Samui Tourist Police to join the inspection with the 140kg dried cannabis flowers found in all of them.
The two British men who are friends said they had been hired to transport the luggage to London, with a Thai man bringing four suitcases to their hotel holding 85.34kg of dried cannabis flowers in vacuum-sealed bags. If successful their debts in the UK would be cleared.
The two British women who are likewise friends said they too were hired to transport luggage to London, with a Thai man dropping off two suitcases to their hotel containing 35.8kg of dried cannabis flowers in vacuum-sealed bags. If successful they were to be paid 2,000 pounds each (approximately 87,500 baht each).
The Malaysian man was given a suitcase containing 22.80kg cannabis flowers in vacuum-sealed bags to take to Singapore and if successful he was to be paid 6,000 ringgit (approximately 45,700 baht).
They were charged with smuggling goods that have not been cleared by customs out of the country under sections 242 and 252 in conjunction with sections 166 and 167 of the Customs Act 2560. They were also slapped with violating Section 78 in conjunction with Section 46 of the Protection and Promotion of Traditional Thai Medical Knowledge Act B.E. 2542 and the Public Health Ministry Announcement on Controlled Herbs (Cannabis) B.E. 2565.
All five confessed to the charges and asked for the case to be suspended at the customs level by agreeing to forfeit the large amount of seized dried cannabis flowers to the state. They also wrote a letter requesting that comparison be made and the lawsuit dropped.
Cannabis in the UK is illegal for recreational use and is classified as a Class B drug. In 2004, the UK made cannabis a Class C drug with less severe penalties, but it was moved back to Class B in 2009. Medical use of cannabis, when prescribed by a registered specialist doctor, was legalised in November 2018, according to Wikipedia.
Photos: Naewna
This report was originally published by www.thainewsroom.com
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