Koh Samui-
Recently, on March 15th, 2025, four British men were arrested at Koh Samui Airport in Surat Thani, Thailand, for attempting to illegally smuggle 131 kilograms of cannabis out of the country. The men, identified only as Antony, 63, Billy, 37, Philld, 63, and John, 34, were apprehended just before boarding a flight to Singapore, with their final destination believed to be the United Kingdom. Each suspect was carrying two suitcases, and all eight bags were found to contain vacuum-sealed packages of dried cannabis buds when inspected via X-ray by airport staff.
The discovery was made during routine security checks, after which the men initially fled the airport. However, Thai immigration police quickly tracked them down and arrested them. The seized cannabis, if successfully smuggled to the UK, could have fetched a street value much higher than its estimated worth in Thailand, potentially up to 75 million baht (approximately £1.7 million) overseas, given the differences in market prices and legal status. Cannabis is decriminalized in Thailand and widely available but remains illegal in the UK for general non medical use.
The suspects were charged with smuggling cannabis and violating Thailand’s cannabis control laws, specifically the Customs Act, as exporting cannabis remains illegal despite its decriminalization for personal use within Thailand since June 2022. Authorities noted that these men were likely recruited overseas, with their flights and accommodations in Thailand paid for by organized crime groups orchestrating the smuggling operation.
This follows another recent case on March 12th, 2025, where four other British nationals were caught at the same airport with 144 kilograms of cannabis stuffed into seven large suitcases, also destined for London Heathrow via a connecting flight. We reported on that incident here.
