Cannabis smuggling from Thailand to UK reaches record highs as drug mules warned

A former Arsenal player and dozens of Malaysians were among those detained, with tonnes of Thai cannabis being seized at UK ports of entry

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Cannabis plants. This year alone, UK border officials have seized 15 tonnes of cannabis, much of it from Thailand, the US and Canada. Photo: Bloomberg

Published: 3:30pm, 6 Oct 2024Updated: 8:11am, 7 Oct 2024

At a Thai port, customs officials laid out a 1.4-tonne haul of dried cannabis bricks and pre-rolled joints, complete with “Premium” labels and Bob Marley stickers – all wrapped up and ready to go to its intended market: Britain.

Since Thailand became the first Asian nation to decriminalise cannabis two years ago, British ports and airports have recorded a surge in drug seizures smuggled from the kingdom.

In the last fortnight alone, more than 260kg (573lbs) of cannabis was discovered in suitcases at UK airports, carried by passengers arriving from Bangkok. Among those arrested were two Malaysians, adding to a growing list of at least 90 compatriots who were detained at UK borders this year for cannabis-related offences.

The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) warns that organised crime groups are increasingly cultivating cannabis in Thailand, as well as Canada and the United States, where high-quality, high-strength buds can be grown legally and at a fraction of what it would cost to produce them in Britain.

This profitability enables these groups to easily offset smuggling expenses, whether through containers or by hiring couriers, while minimising the risks associated with operating UK-based grow houses.

A cannabis farm, or grow house, uncovered by police in Britain. Photo: National Crime Agency/Handout

But anyone who succumbs to the allure of quick cash and is caught smuggling cannabis, which remains abundant and legal in Thailand, can face up to 14 years in prison in Britain for drug trafficking.