Phuket-
On Thursday, May 2nd, a British national was detained at Phuket International Airport for carrying cocaine.
The individual, later identified by Phuket Immigration as Jamie Louis Swain, aged 29, was apprehended at the international arrivals terminal at approximately 7:00 PM.
Immigration officials discovered 0.42 grams of cocaine concealed within a small plastic bag inside his passport.
Subsequent testing by relevant authorities confirmed the substance to be cocaine. Mr. Swain was then escorted to the Sakoo Police Station where he faced charges for the importation and possession of a Category 2 narcotic. It is important to note that under Thailand’s Narcotics Act, importing cocaine into the country can result in a maximum jail term of 20 years to life, along with a significant fine.
Possession of cocaine is also a serious offense, potentially leading to up to five years in prison or a fine, or both, despite the relatively small amount discovered on Mr. Swain.
As of the latest updates, Mr. Swain has not made any public statements regarding the charges.
Jamie Louis Swain, the British national arrested at Phuket International Airport, is reported to be 29 years old and hails from Enfield, North London. He arrived in Phuket on an Etihad Airways flight on the evening of his arrest planning on a holiday.
There is no detailed public information available about his background or travel history beyond this incident. It’s also noted that he seemed surprised and reportedly started shaking and cursing when the cocaine was found in his passport, which led to further inspections and his subsequent arrest.
This isn’t the first incident where a tourist arrived at the Phuket airport with cocaine inside of their passport, as a similar incident took place to an Australian national, as seen below, in November of 2023. That suspect denied the bag was his and said he had never done drugs in his life and claimed, without evidence, that he had been set up.
Similar incident:
