Pictures courtesy of The Thaiger

 

A 22-year-old British man has been sentenced in Dublin after admitting to importing cannabis worth nearly 500,000 euros (over 18 million baht) from Thailand, intended for sale in Ireland. Jamie Kearns, from Arley in Coventry, was stopped by customs at Terminal One, Dublin Airport, on 12 February while arriving from Thailand via Doha. Authorities discovered 24.472kg of cannabis packed in 48 vacuum-sealed bags, with an estimated street value of 489,440 euros.

 

Kearns, who has no prior convictions, pleaded guilty to possession and importation of drugs. He told police he had accumulated a £4,000 drug debt while backpacking in Thailand and was asked to transport the drugs back to Ireland, despite his father having previously cleared the debt. Officer Peter Mullins described Kearns as cooperative and acting as a “mule,” fully admitting to the offences.

 

During sentencing on 6 November, Judge Martin Nolan noted the gravity of the crime and the large quantity involved. Although there is a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years, the judge reduced the term to 3.5 years, citing Kearns’ youth and clean record. He stated: “Kearns was young at the time, and young people make bad decisions. He undoubtedly deserves a custodial sentence.”

 

Kearns’ defence counsel, Padraig Dwyer SC, highlighted his client’s previously good character and lack of criminal history in both the UK and Ireland. Dwyer argued the offence arose from desperation to clear personal debts and confirmed that Kearns intends to return to the UK and live a law-abiding life upon release. The court also heard that Kearns has strong family ties in Thailand and had visited the country several times before the incident.

 

 

Key Takeaways

 

• Jamie Kearns was jailed in Dublin for importing cannabis worth over 18 million baht from Thailand.

• The offence arose from a personal debt while Kearns was backpacking in Thailand.

• The judge reduced the sentence due to Kearns’ age, clean record, and cooperation with authorities.

 

Related Stories:

 

Japanese-teens-arrested-for-smuggling-cannabis-from-Thailand

 

Hong-Kong-customs-seize-6kg-of-cannabis-on-flight-from-Thailand

 

 

  Adapted  by  Asean  Now from TheThaiger 2025-11-09

 

 

 

 

you see these sort of idiots everywhere in thailand now 

Troll post removed @Artisi

3 1/2 years  😡

 

What a dumb judge 

I love the big signs at Swampy remind folks that smuggling cannabis out of the Country is a Thai crime. Right before they Xray your bags.

 

 

1 hour ago, JoePai said:

3 1/2 years  😡

 

What a dumb judge 

 

Cannabis, not heroin. Calm down.

I wouldn't see any reason to stop such a respectable citizen!

 

Yeah, I know the kids do it by gram these days. In my day, we did it in ounces. Break down 25kg into ounces, you get 375. Divide and that becomes €1300+/ounce, €47/gram.

 

Micks, chime in. Is anybody in the Emerald Isle pay 47 a gram?!? Typical police practice to overstate the value.

4 hours ago, BatteringRam said:

 

Cannabis, not heroin. Calm down.

 

 

My thoughts on cannabis have been altered since i've been in Thailand. I don't see it as a chilled non harmful drug anymore. Constant repeat use with heavy cannabis has some effects on behaviour of some people.

3 hours ago, unblocktheplanet said:

I wouldn't see any reason to stop such a respectable citizen!

 

Yeah, I know the kids do it by gram these days. In my day, we did it in ounces. Break down 25kg into ounces, you get 375. Divide and that becomes €1300+/ounce, €47/gram.

 

Micks, chime in. Is anybody in the Emerald Isle pay 47 a gram?!? Typical police practice to overstate the value.

868 ounces if using 28.8g to an ounce.

576 euros an oz.

Around 20 euros a gram.

In the UK it's around £10 a gram i believe, i buy ounces like yourself.

They always work it out by street value, here it looks like the reported numbers are incorrect.

 

1 hour ago, DonniePeverley said:

 

 

My thoughts on cannabis have been altered since i've been in Thailand. I don't see it as a chilled non harmful drug anymore. Constant repeat use with heavy cannabis has some effects on behaviour of some people.

 

So? You can say the same about alcohol. Ever heard of individual responsibility? I don't, as a adult, want anyone telling me what I can and cannot do with my own body. Do you?

I don't see anyone being thrown in prison for three and a half years for smuggling alcohol.

Not that I am condoning such behaviour. It's more about the hypocrisy.

1 hour ago, DonniePeverley said:

 

 

My thoughts on cannabis have been altered since i've been in Thailand. I don't see it as a chilled non harmful drug anymore. Constant repeat use with heavy cannabis has some effects on behaviour of some people.

 

 

After being around loads of weed smoking in my younger days....

 

I can tell straight up that for some people, they can smoke for decades with hardly any negative effect...

 

On the opposite end for some people weed makes them very lazy, unmotivated, forgetful and just stupid...It completly  wrecks their life...

 

But most people are somewhere in the middle of these two extremes ....

 

Weed affects people very differently........

 

 

 

4 hours ago, unblocktheplanet said:

I wouldn't see any reason to stop such a respectable citizen!

 

Yeah, I know the kids do it by gram these days. In my day, we did it in ounces. Break down 25kg into ounces, you get 375. Divide and that becomes €1300+/ounce, €47/gram.

 

Micks, chime in. Is anybody in the Emerald Isle pay 47 a gram?!? Typical police practice to overstate the value.

 

Don't know where you got your figures from, but 25kg = 881oz's

In the UK during Covid I would pay on average £25 a quarter, for good green, around 7 grams.

881ozx 4 = 3524quarters x £25 = £88,100 or just over 100k euro, where do they get 500k from?

That's £125 a quarter or £500 an ounce, back in the days of "Soap/Resin" it was about £650 for a 9bar/9oz block, delivered.

2 hours ago, WHansen said:

868 ounces if using 28.8g to an ounce.

576 euros an oz.

Around 20 euros a gram.

In the UK it's around £10 a gram i believe, i buy ounces like yourself.

They always work it out by street value, here it looks like the reported numbers are incorrect.

 

 

 

Makes for impressive headlines

 

& hyperdraconian Proceeds of Crime assets grabs

2 hours ago, BatteringRam said:

Thrown in prison for three and a half years for smuggling alcohol

 

They'd get a heavy fine in addition to that sentence if smuggling an equivalent amount of booze. The government sends a message because they make a fortune in taxes off of alcohol.  

3 hours ago, redwood1 said:

 

 

After being around loads of weed smoking in my younger days....

 

I can tell straight up that for some people, they can smoke for decades with hardly any negative effect...

 

On the opposite end for some people weed makes them very lazy, unmotivated, forgetful and just stupid...It completly  wrecks their life...

 

But most people are somewhere in the middle of these two extremes ....

 

Weed affects people very differently........

 

 

 

 

When you are smoking it there's of course the 'chilling effect' which then harbours the theory it's harmless. But longer term effects, when the person is coming of it - i've seen aggression that is not normal, behaviour and psychotic type issues for those who keep doing it long term. 

 

Certainly for society i don't think it's as innocent and harmless as the mantra is made out to be. 

On 11/9/2025 at 3:53 AM, Georgealbert said:

A 22-year-old British man has been sentenced in Dublin after admitting to importing cannabis worth nearly 500,000 euros (over 18 million baht) from Thailand, intended for sale in Ireland. Jamie Kearns, from Arley in Coventry, was stopped by customs at Terminal One, Dublin Airport, on 12 February while arriving from Thailand via Doha. Authorities discovered 24.472kg of cannabis packed in 48 vacuum-sealed bags, with an estimated street value of 489,440 euros.

Idiot

15 hours ago, BatteringRam said:

 

So? You can say the same about alcohol. Ever heard of individual responsibility? I don't, as a adult, want anyone telling me what I can and cannot do with my own body. Do you?

I don't see anyone being thrown in prison for three and a half years for smuggling alcohol.

Not that I am condoning such behaviour. It's more about the hypocrisy.

Donny Boy  ,  the difference is that alcohol is a legal product and provided you abide by the laws such as age limit and drinking hours it can be consumed legally . Pot is illegal for everyone at all times. 

15 hours ago, BatteringRam said:

 

So? You can say the same about alcohol. Ever heard of individual responsibility? I don't, as a adult, want anyone telling me what I can and cannot do with my own body. Do you?

I don't see anyone being thrown in prison for three and a half years for smuggling alcohol.

Not that I am condoning such behaviour. It's more about the hypocrisy.

 

LOL  To be honest I have ot heard of anyone trying to smuggle in cases of booze to the country but againthat is a sick bird also and would could mean jail time.

 

had a Brother BIL that was a heavy weed user in Canada nice guy but was not going anywhere solid.  

 

Yes if people want to use it tht is their choice as long as like Alcohol it doesot afect anyone else.

 

I get just as frustrated with Weed abusers as I do with idiots tht drink to excess. or are addicted to either.

48 minutes ago, wavodavo said:

Pot is illegal for everyone at all times. 

not here in Thailand.
 

1 hour ago, wavodavo said:

Donny Boy  ,  the difference is that alcohol is a legal product and provided you abide by the laws such as age limit and drinking hours it can be consumed legally . Pot is illegal for everyone at all times. 

 

Why is it illegal and who is Donny Boy? Have you been drinking again?

1 hour ago, kingstonkid said:

 

LOL  To be honest I have ot heard of anyone trying to smuggle in cases of booze to the country but againthat is a sick bird also and would could mean jail time.

 

had a Brother BIL that was a heavy weed user in Canada nice guy but was not going anywhere solid.  

 

Yes if people want to use it tht is their choice as long as like Alcohol it doesot afect anyone else.

 

I get just as frustrated with Weed abusers as I do with idiots tht drink to excess. or are addicted to either.

 

Thanks for sharing 😸

12 hours ago, DonniePeverley said:

 

When you are smoking it there's of course the 'chilling effect' which then harbours the theory it's harmless. But longer term effects, when the person is coming of it - i've seen aggression that is not normal, behaviour and psychotic type issues for those who keep doing it long term. 

 

Certainly for society i don't think it's as innocent and harmless as the mantra is made out to be. 

 

Have you considered that the reason why they were smoking it in the first place, is that they had those issues?

None of my friends who smoked it ever exhibited the issues that you have described. Who is this person that you saw with those issues. A friend of yours? Otherwise how do you know what they were taking?

17 hours ago, Jeff the Chef said:

 

Don't know where you got your figures from, but 25kg = 881oz's

In the UK during Covid I would pay on average £25 a quarter, for good green, around 7 grams.

881ozx 4 = 3524quarters x £25 = £88,100 or just over 100k euro, where do they get 500k from?

That's £125 a quarter or £500 an ounce, back in the days of "Soap/Resin" it was about £650 for a 9bar/9oz block, delivered.

Thank you.I stand corrected. Math was never my strong suit. Hash worked for me!

On 11/9/2025 at 10:57 AM, JoePai said:

3 1/2 years  😡

 

What a dumb judge 

 

yes indeed, he was lucky!

 

ref. Google & UK GOV

 

Jan 31, 2025 — However, the maximum sentence for cannabis importation in the UK is up to 14 years in prison.

 

Bringing cocaine (a Class A drug) into the UK is a very serious offence, carrying a maximum penalty of life imprisonment 

10 minutes ago, Burma Bill said:

 

yes indeed, he was lucky!

 

ref. Google & UK GOV

 

Jan 31, 2025 — However, the maximum sentence for cannabis importation in the UK is up to 14 years in prison.

 

Bringing cocaine (a Class A drug) into the UK is a very serious offence, carrying a maximum penalty of life imprisonment 

A what exactly would a Dublin court have to do with UK sentencing guidelines?

3 minutes ago, Georgealbert said:

A what exactly would a Dublin court have to do with UK sentencing guidelines?

 Oh dear my mistake - apologies!

 

However for reference (Google) - even higher!

 

The maximum penalty for the importation of cannabis into the Republic of Ireland (Eire) is life imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine. 

On 11/9/2025 at 1:26 PM, unblocktheplanet said:

I wouldn't see any reason to stop such a respectable citizen!

 

Yeah, I know the kids do it by gram these days. In my day, we did it in ounces. Break down 25kg into ounces, you get 375. Divide and that becomes €1300+/ounce, €47/gram.

 

Micks, chime in. Is anybody in the Emerald Isle pay 47 a gram?!? Typical police practice to overstate the value.

Math doesn't work out, 20 euro / gram, still a lot.

On 11/9/2025 at 7:53 AM, Georgealbert said:

Although there is a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years, the judge reduced the term to 3.5 years, citing Kearns’ youth and clean record.

 

Definition of "Mandatory".... In law, "mandatory" means required by law or rule; it is not optional.

What's the point of mandatory sentences if a judge can overrule them?