Brit Arrested at NZ Airport With Suitcase Allegedly Stuffed With $145K Worth of Cannabis From Bangkok

A British man has been busted trying to smuggle a suitcase stuffed with cannabis from Bangkok to Newcastle as cops crack down on a fast-developing drug route from the Thai capital.

The arrest took place at Vienna International Airport, a city airport on the outskirts of the Austrian capital on 27th May.

The individual, aged 31, was apprehended during a layover en route to Newcastle through Frankfurt and was taken into custody with cuffs for pre-emptive detention at the Korneuburg prison.

Customs officials discovered 11.3 kilograms (24.9lbs) of marijuana sealed within 13 vacuum-packed packages hidden amongst clothing in the individual's luggage.

The suitcase was checked in at Bangkok and tagged for continued journey to Frankfurt and then Newcastle.

The police mentioned that the street value of the cannabis amounted to roughly €113,000 (£95,000).

The police said that the unnamed man declined to admit guilt and did not comment on what was inside the suitcase.

Authorities stated that the probe is being headed by the public prosecutor’s office in Korneuburg.

This arrest is one of an increasing number of similar incidents where individuals acting as drug mules depart from Thailand.

Yesterday, it came to light that A British pair, who stated they were travelers arriving from Thailand, were detained at a Spanish airport. with over 33 kilograms of cannabis in their luggage.

The pair were remanded in custody after suspicious officers picked them out from other passengers arriving at Valencia Airport because of their 'nervous and evasive attitude.'

The 33-year-old man and 34-year-old woman had arrived on a flight from France And they were holding two big suitcases and mentioned they didn’t have anything to declare.

However, upon inspection using X-ray scanners, the security personnel found that the bags contained neither clothing nor any personal items.

The packages were filled with vacuum-packed plant-based material instead. This substance was sent for testing and found to be cannabis.

They were taken into custody after midnight on May 6 and appeared before a judge the following day, charged with drug trafficking.

They remained in custody as the probe carries on, and it could take several months before they find out whether charges will be filed against them and they'll have to stand trial.

Meanwhile, An 18-year-old named Bella Culley, hailing from Billingham in Teesside, got arrested in Georgia on May 11. , reportedly apprehended for allegedly attempting to smuggle approximately £200,000 worth of cannabis and hashish into the nation through the UAE following what seemed to be a recreational visit to Thailand.

Culley hasn't shared with her legal representative how she obtained the drugs.

Shortly afterwards, it came to light that a 21-year-old British ex-cabin crew member named Charlotte May Lee was apprehended in Sri Lanka. She faced accusations of attempting to smuggle 46 kilograms of cannabis into the nation—once more, originating from Thailand.

The Mail revealed that Culley had told a source close to her legal case that she had flown to the South East Asian country 'for love', but has still 'said nothing about why she had the drugs'.

Lee is understood to have travelled to Thailand for her birthday in April before stopping back in the U.K. She mentioned having found a 'job on a boat', but did not tell friends she was planning to return.

The circumstances and reasons behind her arrival in Colombo, Sri Lanka, reportedly carrying several bags of vacuum-sealed marijuana, remain unclear.

Family members mention that she also casually talked about meeting someone in Thailand, as reported by The Sun. reports She departed from Bangkok Airport not long after Culley did.

Jemal Janashia, once a high-ranking police officer in Georgia and among the nation's leading figures in combating drugs, crime Experts informed the Mail that local investigators will be eager to examine 'the potential connection' between the two cases.

He ominously remarked: "Thai gangs might be trying to recruit susceptible British tourists."

"The departure of two young British women carrying significant amounts of narcotics from the same airport will likely pique the curiosity of investigators," said Mr Janashia to the Mail.

They might worry about a connection and the chance that Thai gangs could be trying to lure susceptible British tourists into their groups.

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