A 46-year-old Italian man has been arrested after allegedly attempting to smuggle heroin into a detention cell at Bo Phut Police Station on Koh Samui, where a friend was being held pending deportation. The suspect, identified only as Mr Domenico, was detained after officers discovered drugs hidden inside a beverage bottle he brought during a prison visit.

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The incident took place on the evening of 3 June 2026 at Bo Phut Police Station in Surat Thani province. According to police, Mr Domenico arrived carrying a drink bottle and told officers he wished to visit an Italian friend being held in custody while awaiting deportation.

During a routine inspection, duty officer Pol Snr Sgt Maj Veerayut Krisgree noticed that the bottle cap appeared unusual and was not properly sealed. A closer examination revealed a small package concealed inside the bottle. Police found 0.33 grams of heroin wrapped in a condom and immediately detained the suspect.

Investigators from Bo Phut Police Station then coordinated with immigration officers to expand the investigation. A subsequent search of Mr Domenico’s rented accommodation in Bo Phut uncovered 12 packets containing heroin and crystal methamphetamine hidden inside a wardrobe. Officers also seized plastic bags believed to have been used for repackaging drugs.

During questioning, Mr Domenico admitted purchasing the drugs from a Thai man known as “Pe” in the Mareet area. He told investigators he paid 4,000 baht per transaction and used the drugs himself while also supplying them to friends within his social circle. Police said he further admitted that the heroin hidden in the bottle was intended for a detained friend identified only as “Saga”.

Authorities have charged Mr Domenico with possession of Category 1 narcotics, including heroin and crystal methamphetamine, with intent to distribute. He also faces charges relating to the attempted distribution of heroin by bringing the drug into the police station for a detainee.

Manager Online reported that police transferred the suspect to investigators at Bo Phut Police Station for further legal proceedings. If convicted, he is expected to face sentencing under Thai narcotics laws before eventual deportation. Authorities have not released further details regarding the alleged supplier or any additional arrests linked to the investigation.

Pictures courtesy of MGR

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Adapted by ASEAN Now MGRonline 5 June 2026

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Well that's one way of ensuring you go cold turkey...................

Thailand’s prisons are full of foreigners who have done stupid things, but this guy must really take the prize for the dumbest!

This maybe the thickest man in Thailand

Ab extremely high risk deal he attempted there..... now he will need a delivery too!

28 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

This maybe the thickest man in Thailand

Soon to be ....thick and thin !

3 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

This maybe the thickest man in Thailand

Certainly not around the midsection. Classic emaciated junkie. Kind of like the Hollywood ozempic club.

There is stupid and then this guy takes it to a new level.

For people that not live on Samui.

Bophut police station is in Chaweng.

Maret is Lamai offical name.

On 6/5/2026 at 5:33 AM, Jim Waldron said:

Thailand’s prisons are full of foreigners who have done stupid things, but this guy must really take the prize for the dumbest!

He wanted to go to prison by the sounds of it. Stupid is what stupid is.

On 6/5/2026 at 4:40 AM, Georgealbert said:

with intent to distribute.

The intent for distribution of drugs is a legal designation.

It is a prosecutor's allegation that a person caught with illegal substances planned to sell, deliver, or trade them to others, rather than keeping them solely for personal use.

On 6/5/2026 at 4:40 AM, Georgealbert said:

Police found 0.33 grams of heroin wrapped in a condom

So what if the suspect alleges that he was merely giving a small amount of heroin to a friend as a gift. So the law being broken becomes simple possession in the hands of the suspect and Italian friend versus a felony.

"he ... used the drugs himself while also supplying them to friends within his social circle." No evidence if sales?

However, for a felony the prosecution must go further to show distribution of said drugs was financially intended, ie., received cash, tracks paying customer lists, drug ledgers, etc.

Maybe a plea bargain for reduced sentencing in time might develop.

On 6/5/2026 at 6:19 AM, Jim Blue said:

Soon to be ....thick and thin !

Yes i hear the fish head soup is nutritious, but very low in carbs!

Probably he did it for a friend , considering the small ammount , and now he's paying the consequences of the stupid act .

Now he needs 'Pe', equipped with 'refreshments', to visit both himself and 'Saga' in the slammer.

Now that's just, top Ten, Gold Star Darwin award material.

What a Dumbo.

How stupid can you be

1 hour ago, rocketboy2 said:

Now that's just, top Ten, Gold Star Darwin award material.

What a Dumbo.

You beat me to it - even the title of the thread ".....man caught smuggling heroin into koh samui-cell" made me think immediately of the Darwin Awards 🙄

31 minutes ago, VBF said:

You beat me to it - even the title of the thread ".....man caught smuggling heroin into koh samui-cell" made me think immediately of the Darwin Awards 🙄

It used to happen a lot, maybe still does. Back in the 1980s I visited some prisoners in Bang Kwang jail, many had life sentences.

Some were clean but others were clearly under the influence, one Englishman told me he had caught HIV through sharing dirty needles.

15 years ago, I was living in Thailand but had to sue my x-GF in the US for funds she owned me from the sale of our co-owned house. I was near broke at the time and had no way to pay a high priced lawyer. I went onto Craigslist with my story and a lawyer got in touch and agreed to take my case for a fixed fee to be paid on settlement. It sounded dodgy. My Brother-in-Law met him and was less than impressed but I really had no choice, the "No Money, No Honey" axiom applies to lawyers as well.

Very long story very short, he managed to win my case, got a lien on the property and I got my money. He stuck to the originally quoted fee: $2000. I gave him $3,000.

One year later, my Brother-in-Law sent me a local newspaper headline: "Lawyer Busted Sneaking Drugs Into City Jail For Client." It was my boy. He had worked his way through law school while working as a mailman. He was also an obsessive gambler. He later told me he had gotten deep into debt to a drug dealer and was coerced into delivering the drugs. He was a nice guy and smart in a book way but not street wise. All his work, gone to waste. Last I heard, he was working in a rehab center.

21 minutes ago, dddave said:

15 years ago, I was living in Thailand but had to sue my x-GF in the US for funds she owned me from the sale of our co-owned house. I was near broke at the time and had no way to pay a high priced lawyer. I went onto Craigslist with my story and a lawyer got in touch and agreed to take my case for a fixed fee to be paid on settlement. It sounded dodgy. My Brother-in-Law met him and was less than impressed but I really had no choice, the "No Money, No Honey" axiom applies to lawyers as well.

Very long story very short, he managed to win my case, got a lien on the property and I got my money. He stuck to the originally quoted fee: $2000. I gave him $3,000.

One year later, my Brother-in-Law sent me a local newspaper headline: "Lawyer Busted Sneaking Drugs Into City Jail For Client." It was my boy. He had worked his way through law school while working as a mailman. He was also an obsessive gambler. He later told me he had gotten deep into debt to a drug dealer and was coerced into delivering the drugs. He was a nice guy and smart in a book way but not street wise. All his work, gone to waste. Last I heard, he was working in a rehab center.

Small world.........................Good story....

What an idiot for taking drugs into a police station. 😄😂

Wanting to help your friend with their addiction and obviously being an addict yourself, these two travel a sad journey.

17 minutes ago, robert2 said:

Wanting to help your friend with their addiction and obviously being an addict yourself, these two travel a sad journey.

Indeed. Back in the 1980s I once spent the winter months at Goa, staying in a small house with 3 rooms, literally only 100 metres from the beach.

The other two rooms were occupied by English junkies, brown sugar was their cup of tea, and every day after breakfast they would indulge in their nasty habit, and then spend the entire day lying on their iron beds with thin mattresses, in the semi darkness. At dusk they would come out for a little recreation playing gentle frisbee.

One of the guys was quite strong physically but his friend, an ex-Radio 1 sound engineer who had given up his job to come to Goa where the heroin was so much cheaper than the UK, had a weak constitution and would frequently throw up, a sound that resonated through the house where the walls didn't reach the ceiling.

It was exasperating to see them wasting their lives, here we were in brilliant blue sunshine, surrounded by beautiful girls from around the world, swimming, playing beach volleyball, etc, and these two spent the entire time lying on their beds in a darkened room, staring at the ceiling!

For these two Italians, going cold turkey in cells in a Samui jail will not be fun, but if they've run out of junkie friends or money outside perhaps it will cure them of their addiction.

Edited June 7Jun 7 by bannork

please do not deport him, cells are already full in Italy