A British man from Stevenage was arrested upon arriving at Phuket International Airport in May last year after an immigration officer found a small plastic bag containing white powder.
According to the Daily Mail, 29-year-old (at the time) Jamie Louis Swain was pulled aside when officers spotted the packet while flipping through his passport to find a blank page for the visa stamp.
Police found a packet of cocaine
Officers said Jamie looked shocked when the packet was discovered, then started swearing and trembling, which led authorities to inspect him further and scan his luggage.
He was arrested at the airport, where police tested the substance hidden in his passport and confirmed it was 0.42 grams of cocaine.
According to Thailand’s Narcotics Act, bringing cocaine into the country can result in 20 years to life in prison and a fine of between £43,000 and £108,000 (RM245,555 and RM616,744). Possession alone can carry a sentence of up to five years or a fine of up to £2,000 (RM11,421), or both.
“I still believe it was a setup”
Following the incident, Jamie’s mother opened up about the traumatic experience, insisting it was a “set-up” and warning that something like this “can happen to anyone.”
She added that Jamie was held in a holding cell for about two days before being released on bail. She immediately flew to Phuket the night he was detained and described the ordeal as “awful,” saying she feared he would end up imprisoned in a foreign country.
“He went there with his brother, and they made it through Heathrow and Dubai, then arrived in Thailand. His brother got through immigration with no problem, but when Jamie handed over his passport, they claimed a small bag fell out of it. I still believe it was a setup. If that’s really what happened, then Heathrow and Dubai clearly didn’t do their job,” she said.
Although initial reports suggested that Jamie could face up to 20 years in prison, he was released on bail for just £250 (RM1,427), and ended up being fined a little over £1,000 (RM5,710).
Sharing a word of caution, Jamie’s mother said that while Thailand and its people are “beautiful” and “friendly,” travellers should still be careful.
Also read: 62yo Man Causes Panic at Phuket Airport After Making Fake Bomb Threat Aboard Flight, Gets Arrested
