Over 100kg of Cannabis Seized at Chiang Mai Airport, Smugglers Walk Free Due to Legal Loopholes
CHIANG MAI — Law enforcement in Chiang Mai Province announced on March 5 the seizure of over 100 kilograms of cannabis flowers, yet due to legal loopholes in Thailand’s cannabis regulations, the foreign nationals involved in the smuggling attempts walked free without facing charges.
Police Lieutenant General Krittapol Yeesakorn, Commander of Provincial Police Region 5, held a press conference detailing several cases where foreign nationals attempted to smuggle cannabis out of the country. He explained that many of these suspects exploited gaps in Thailand’s cannabis control laws, which allowed them to avoid prosecution, with authorities only being able to confiscate the illicit substances.
The first case, which occurred on March 2, involved a 23-year-old Malaysian man attempting to smuggle 22.5 kilograms of cannabis flowers. He had planned to travel from Chiang Mai to Dubai, and from there, continue on to London, UK.
On March 4, authorities detained a 19-year-old British female student at Chiang Mai Airport after she was caught attempting to smuggle 34.8 kilograms of cannabis flowers. She intended to fly from Chiang Mai to Hong Kong, with a connection to London.
Later that same day, a 35-year-old Malaysian couple was arrested after trying to smuggle 45.4 kilograms of cannabis flowers. Their intended route was to Singapore and then onward to London.
The most recent case took place on March 5, when Chiang Mai customs officers intercepted another 20 kilograms of cannabis flowers being smuggled by a German national.
In these cases, only one Malaysian suspect faced a fine after initially denying ownership of the cannabis. He claimed to be merely a courier, but after further investigation and evidence showing his ownership of the cannabis, he admitted it was his and consented to its confiscation. He was subsequently released.
Lt. Gen. Krittapol explained that, under current regulations, possessing and transporting cannabis within Thailand is not illegal. Additionally, cannabis flowers are not classified as illegal narcotics in the United Kingdom, making it easier for smugglers to target Thai airports for their operations. After several interceptions at Phuket Airport, smugglers moved their operations to Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok. When authorities began cracking down there, the smuggling route shifted again to Chiang Mai, resulting in this being the first significant cannabis seizure at the airport.
Thai authorities and relevant agencies are now discussing measures to introduce stricter penalties for the smuggling of cannabis flowers out of the country.
