A Russian man was arrested in Thailand after customs officials at the Phuket airport found more than 17kg of cannabis flowers and resin hidden in his suitcases.
Sergei Chalabari, 30, was arrested on Wednesday shortly before he was set to board a flight to Kazakhstan.
Customs officials led by Rawin Kanokakorn found 35 packages of cannabis flowers, weighing 11.4kg, and 12 packages of cannabis resin, weighing 6.2kg, hidden inside Mr Chalabari’s two suitcases. They valued the seized contraband at more than 9.5m baht or about £212,000.
Mr Chalabari reportedly admitted to the ownership of the suitcases and the cannabis, which he allegedly intended to take to Almaty.
He was charged with trying to export goods out of Thailand without undergoing customs procedures. He was later handed over to investigators at the Sakhu police station.
Authorities said that despite Thailand’s recent relaxation of cannabis rules, the export of cannabis and cannabis-derived products remained governed by Thai customs laws and the import regulations of the destination country.
Thailand made history in 2022 by becoming the first Asian nation to decriminalise cannabis, a decision which initially boosted tourism and agriculture, leading to a proliferation of cannabis shops across the country.
However, it began tightening regulations last year around dispensaries that had mushroomed on high streets and resorts and were selling high-potency cannabis for recreational use.
Thai prime minister Anutin Charnvirakul warned that cannabis could be re-criminalised if stalled legislation failed to curb its misuse and smuggling.
Airport authorities subsequently intensified inspections to combat smuggling, reporting that most intercepted cannabis was carried by foreign nationals, predominantly British and Indian citizens. More than 50 British nationals had been arrested in Thailand for attempting to smuggle cannabis over the past two years.
The British embassy in Thailand previously warned its citizens not to “carry cannabis or any package on behalf of someone else when travelling”. It said those caught leaving Thailand with cannabis faced fines of 30,000baht or £669 per kg seized.
