SINGAPORE: Thirteen foreigners posing as tourists were arrested at a Thai airport over four days for attempting to smuggle 375kg of cannabis out of the country, a local media outlet reported on Sunday (Mar 16).
Of the 13 arrested, 12 were bound for Singapore and the other was bound for Hong Kong, the Bangkok Post reported. Their planned final destinations included the United Kingdom, Germany and Singapore.
Citing Thai authorities, the news outlet said that some of the tourists were hired to carry the cannabis overseas. They were promised payment or debt repayment if they were successful.
The cannabis was seized from 22 bags at Samui airport, and could have been sold for about 75 million baht (US$2.2 million) in total.
FOUR BRITISH MEN ARRESTED
In the latest incident, four British men were arrested at the airport on Saturday with 131kg of dried cannabis buds in eight suitcases.
They were identified by the Bangkok Post as Antony, 63, Billy, 37, Philld, 63, and John, 34.
The four men fled from Samui airport after the cannabis was spotted while the bags were scanned. They were eventually arrested and charged with smuggling cannabis and violating the cannabis control law.
According to immigration police in Surat Thani, the British men were hired to visit Thailand as tourists and had their flights and hotel accommodation paid for.
They took domestic flights from Bangkok to Koh Samui in Surat Thani and were hired to carry the cannabis from Koh Samui to Singapore first, before taking it to other countries.
If successful, they would have received £2,000 (US$2,500) in return, and some would have had their debts repaid.
The other nine foreigners who were earlier arrested for smuggling cannabis at Samui airport were sentenced to four months’ jail.
On Sunday, Police Major General Sermpan Sirikong said a suitcase mistakenly taken by a Thai couple to Japan could also have been part of the smuggling attempts.
The bag was opened in Japan, where officials found 24kg of dried cannabis inside.
The suitcase belonged to a 51-year-old British man. The Bangkok Post reported that the man arrived at Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok on Mar 6.
He apparently left Surat Thani airport last Thursday and departed Thailand for South Korea the following Friday, the police spokesperson said.
