Four Britons and a Malaysian were arrested at Samui International Airport while attempting to smuggle 144 kilogrammes of cannabis buds to Britain and Singapore, Thai police reported on Thursday.
According to Bangkok Post, the five individuals were preparing to board a flight from the resort island to Singapore at 6pm on Wednesday when police conducted a search of their luggage.
They were found to be carrying seven suitcases filled with cannabis buds.
Pol Col Denduang Thongsrisook, chief of the Bo Phut police station, identified the suspects as UK citizens Mark Siemaszkiewicz and Richard McMahon, both 46, Peace Adefila, 27, and Esther Fakuade, 26.
The four had a total of six suitcases containing 121.1 kilogrammes of cannabis. They were reportedly planning to continue their journey from Singapore to the UK.
The Britons told investigators that they had been approached by Thai men who promised them either repayment of debts or a payment of £2,000 (about 87,000 baht) in exchange for transporting the cannabis.
Thai police estimate that the seized drugs have a street value of at least 15 million baht in the UK.
The fifth suspect, Malaysian national Tan Chin Tick, 47, was caught with a separate bag containing 22.8 kilogrammes of cannabis buds.
He allegedly admitted that he had been hired for 6,000 ringgit (about S$3,300) to smuggle the drugs into Singapore, which was his final destination.
Pol Col Denduang stated that authorities are now working to identify and apprehend the masterminds behind the smuggling operation.
Investigators are looking into the network that facilitated the transportation of the drugs and how the suspects were recruited.
Thailand recently decriminalised cannabis for medical and industrial use, but strict regulations remain in place, and smuggling large quantities abroad is illegal.
Both the UK and Singapore maintain stringent anti-drug laws, with Singapore enforcing severe penalties, including the death penalty, for drug trafficking.
Authorities are expected to conduct further investigations to trace the origins of the cannabis and any local or international connections involved in the smuggling attempt.
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