Absconding Thai-Dutch actress Amelia “Amy” Jacobs, a former Miss Teen Thailand, was sentenced to 33 years and four months in prison in a drug case by the Min Buri Provincial Court on Thursday (Aug 20), Pol General Krisana Pattanacharoen, deputy spokesman of the Royal Thai Police, said on Friday.
Amelia and her boyfriend, pub manager Poonyawat Hirantecha, 41, were arrested on Sep 19, 2017 at a house in Bangkok’s Sai Mai district where police seized 70 grams of crystal methamphetamine, 16 ecstasy pills and a weighing scale.
On Aug 28, 2018 the actress was acquitted of trafficking in drugs, but her boyfriend was sentenced to 25 years and four months in prison and Bt750,000 fine. The judge at Min Buri Provincial Court then had found 29-year-old Amelia guilty of illicit drug use and handed her a three-month suspended jail term. She was also ordered into a rehabilitation programme.
However, on Thursday the court found her guilty of possessing drugs for sale, and amended her sentence to 33 years and four months and Bt666,666 fine. The court issued a warant for her arrest. Her offence has a statute of limitations of 30 years.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that Amelia had fled the country via Suvarnabhumi Airport on Aug 22, 2019 on flight EK 0385 heading to Dubai,” said Krisana. “The immigration officials did not detain her since at the time no arrest warrant had been issued. There is no record of her returning to Thailand.”
