Uzbek Men Held With Cannabis at Phuket Airport

Two Uzbek nationals have been arrested at Phuket International Airport after customs officers discovered large quantities of cannabis in their luggage as they prepared to leave Thailand.

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The arrests were made on 1 July 2026 during baggage inspections carried out by customs officials at Phuket International Airport in cooperation with other agencies. Officers said both men were attempting to take cannabis products out of the country without completing the required customs procedures.

The first suspect was identified as Mr Jalilboyevich Bunyodboy Juraboev, 26, a citizen of Uzbekistan. During an inspection in the Baggage Inspection Room (BIR) on the first floor of the international departures terminal, officials selected two of his four suitcases for further examination.

Inside the luggage, officers found 30 vacuum-sealed packages containing dried cannabis flower with a total gross weight of 9.8 kilograms. They also discovered 14 processed cannabis bars with a combined gross weight of 1.03 kilograms.

The second suspect, Mr Mukhiddinovich Nursayid Mukhiddinov, also 26 and also a citizen of Uzbekistan, was stopped separately after his luggage was examined in the Baggage Inspection Room.

Authorities said they found 30 packages of dried cannabis flower weighing a total of 9.8 kilograms, eight bags of cannabis resin with a combined gross weight of 4.1 kilograms, and additional processed cannabis products consisting of one package, five bars and nine blocks with a total gross weight of 2 kilograms.

Officials invited both passengers, identified as the owners of the luggage, to witness the searches. According to authorities, the men acknowledged ownership of the suitcases and consented to the inspections, which confirmed the suspicious items previously detected by X-ray screening.

Both suspects have been charged with attempting to export goods from Thailand without completing customs formalities under the Customs Act B.E. 2560 (2017). They also face offences under Thailand’s narcotics legislation and the Ministry of Public Health regulations governing controlled herbs, including cannabis.

Amarin reported that following the arrests, the two men and all seized items were handed over to investigators at Sakhu Police Station for legal proceedings. The case is being supervised by Pol Col Salan Santisatsanakul, chief of Sakhu Police Station, with investigating officers continuing the case in accordance with Thai law.

Pictures courtesy of Amarin

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Adapted by ASEAN Now Amarin 3 July 2026

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