Nearly 1,000 British drug couriers were arrested at UK airports last year while allegedly bringing cannabis in from overseas, with the overwhelming majority arriving from Thailand, police figures show.
The 976 arrests marked a sevenfold increase from 142 in 2023. In the six months to June this year, 600 suspected couriers had already been arrested.
For foreigners in Thailand, the figures underline an important distinction in the country's cannabis rules: cannabis cultivation has been legal since its decriminalisation in 2022, but taking cannabis out of Thailand without clearance remains illegal. Travellers should not assume products openly sold in Thailand can be legally carried abroad.
Gangs offer Thailand trips through social media
The National Crime Agency (NCA) says organised crime groups are recruiting would-be couriers through platforms including Snapchat and TikTok. They advertise week-long Thailand holidays, offering flights, hotels and spending money in exchange for what is presented as a small favour.
Couriers may then be pressured, including through threats of violence, to carry cannabis back in their luggage. They can be offered up to GBP5,000 on their return to Britain, according to the NCA.
Paul Pantry, the NCA's head of border vulnerabilities, said: "The couriers have no control over how they fly back.
"They are in the hands of these ruthless criminals who enforce everything with violence. Once they are in, there's no backing out.
"Organised crime groups will not care about couriers. They will leave them high and dry. They are entering a murky, violent world."
The NCA recently launched a Bangkok campaign warning British visitors about the risks. Drug smuggling can lead to up to 14 years in prison in the UK, while countries including the UAE and Saudi Arabia can impose longer sentences or even the death penalty.
Thailand's lower prices drive the trade
Cannabis farming became legal in Thailand after decriminalisation in 2022, helping to lower prices. But the growth in availability has also been linked to a sharp rise in attempts to export it illegally.
One kilogram of cannabis brought from Thailand has an estimated UK street value of GBP10,000. The average courier carries about 25kg, giving a typical seizure an estimated value of GBP250,000.
Some suspected couriers are intercepted during transit, including at airports in Turkey, Georgia and Sri Lanka.
Mr Pantry said that although some recruits have criminal backgrounds, a significant number see themselves as "influencer-types", drawn by the appearance of a glamorous, shareable overseas lifestyle.
Recent cases involving Thailand flights
Amy Durban, 45, of Cullompton, Devon, pleaded guilty on Thursday after being caught at Heathrow with more than GBP500,000 worth of cannabis from Thailand in her suitcase. She will be sentenced in October.
Influencer Ellie Crampsie, 23, from Glasgow, was arrested at Edinburgh Airport last year after arriving from Thailand with 17kg of cannabis valued at GBP150,000. She was jailed for 16 months in April.
Pregnant teenager Bella Culley, 19, from Billingham, Teesside, was caught at Tbilisi airport in Georgia last year with cannabis from Thailand. She had faced 20 years in prison but was released after five months under a plea bargain.
Charlotte Lee May, 21, from south London, was arrested in Sri Lanka in May last year with 46kg of cannabis from Thailand and is facing 20 years in jail.
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10 August 2026
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