Drug Offences Account For Fifth Of All

[churchill]

Drug offences now account for a fifth of all arrests of Britons abroad and a quarter in Thailand, Foreign Office figures show today.

The latest figures on incidents among Britons abroad show that drink and drugs were a major factor in the number of Britons being arrested abroad or needing hospital treatment from last year.

The worrying figures illustrate how some British tourists spiral into criminal activity and unacceptable behaviour when they are abroad, risking their security and the reputation of Britons in many holiday resorts.

Brush with the law: Drugs and drink account for many arrests and hospitalisations of Britons abroad

Relating to the period April 2008 to March 2009, the figures showed that more Britons were arrested or taken to hospital in Spain than any other country.

Britain's favourite sunshine destination arrested 2,290 Britons and a total of 741 were taken to hospital.

But as a proportion of the number of visitors, Britons were most likely to be arrested in the United Arab Emirates and most likely to need hospital treatment in Thailand.

A worrying 28 rapes and 154 sexual assaults were reported in Greece, which also came second as the country where Britons were most likely to be hospitalised.

There were also 5,629 reported deaths of UK citizens abroad worldwide including natural causes, accident deaths and murders.

Foreign Office Minister Chris Bryant said: ' Helping those who do get into trouble is a vital part of our job, but so many of the problems we deal with can be avoided with a little bit of preparation.

'Researching the local laws and customs before you travel could avoid time in a foreign jail. Getting comprehensive travel insurance means that while an accident may disrupt your holiday, it won't bankrupt you in extortionate medical or repatriation bills.

'The message is clear - have a great time while you're away, but make the necessary preparations before you go.'

But holidaymakers need not be unduly worried. Of the 1.2 million consular inquiries worldwide last year, lost or stolen passports were by far the most frequent with 29,774 reported incidents. An inconvenience definitely, but not too serious in the grand scheme of things.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-...l#ixzz0PBpMI0PX

[ukrules]

Drug offences now account for a fifth of all arrests of Britons abroad and a quarter in Thailand, Foreign Office figures show today.

The latest figures on incidents among Britons abroad show that drink and drugs were a major factor in the number of Britons being arrested abroad or needing hospital treatment from last year.

The worrying figures illustrate how some British tourists spiral into criminal activity and unacceptable behaviour when they are abroad, risking their security and the reputation of Britons in many holiday resorts.

These are the same people who are getting arrested at home each weekend, the bars have been much quieter for the last few weeks here in England as millions of people have gone away on holidays.

[Geekfreaklover]

I'm British, but I must admit that certain 'scandanavian' or 'german' resorts in Thailand such as Koh Lak are much more pleasent to visit than the likes of Koh Samui or Pattaya - Not because of the less rowdy behaviour. That doesn't bother me too much. It's just that it seems that Northern Europeans expect better standards of accomadation, food, cleaner beaches etc and that is reflected in the resorts that cater for them. It's the same in the Med.

But back to the report - maybe the reason that there are more UK citizens arrested in Thailand is beacuse just so many more of them. I don't know the stats but it seems that most foreginers you meet are British here.

[mahtin]

Relating to the period April 2008 to March 2009, the Foreign Office figures showed that more Britons were arrested or taken to hospital in Spain than any other country.

But as a proportion of the number of visitors, Britons were most likely to be arrested in the United Arab Emirates and most likely to need hospital treatment in Thailand.

So what it boils down to, apart from this is the Mail and the silly season, is that more Brits need hospital treatment in LOS than any other nationality.

Non-story.

[sbk]

British Behaviour Abroad' assessment shows 22 British nationals worldwide facing charges that carry death penalty

Monday, 24 August 2009

One in seven Britons arrested abroad is held over drug allegations, government statistics reveal today.

In the year to March, 991 out of almost 7,000 arrests of UK citizens around the world were for drug offences, the Foreign Office said in its annual "British Behaviour Abroad" assessment.

Some 180 Britons were held in Spain over drugs, 148 in the US, 63 in France and 54 in Thailand. The figures also show there are 22 British nationals worldwide facing criminal charges that carry the death penalty. Twelve are in Pakistan, four in Thailand, three in the US, two in Bangladesh and one in the United Arab Emirates.

The country with the most arrests overall, by a significant margin, was Spain, where 2,290 Britons fell foul of the law. But as a proportion of the number of visitors, Britons were most likely to be arrested in the UAE, where 294 were held, followed by Thailand with 202 arrests and the US with 1,534.

Alcohol consumption is also a major factor in the number of Britons being arrested or needing hospital treatment abroad, the Foreign Office said.

It identified topless sunbathing, swearing and public displays of affection as other causes of arrests, saying Britons should carefully research the area they are visiting to avoid breaching local laws and customs. Overstaying visas also contributed to a high number of offences.

There were 116 reported cases of Britons being raped abroad, including 28 in Greece, and 154 sexual assaults.

Spain is the country where Britons are most likely to have to go to hospital, followed by Greece and France. Feedback from Foreign Office staff, who dealt with 2.1 million consular inquiries worldwide, revealed that a high number of hospital cases were due to moped and motorbike accidents and drink-related incidents such as falls from balconies. There were 5,629 reported deaths of UK citizens abroad.

http://u.tv/News/One-in-seven-Britons-arre...7d-c0727606bd59

funny how this article quotes different statistics.

//moving to travel forum//

[endure]

Drug offences don't account for 80 per cent of all Brit arrests abroad...

[LaoPo]

funny how this article quotes different statistics.

Maybe the article does...but the Official 5 pages .pdf report doesn't, including some nasty figures for Thailand, including drug arrests, arrest/detention, 288 total death (!), 774 lost/stolen passports, 198 hospitalisations...etc. etc....:

- FCO BRITISH BEHAVIOUR ABROAD REPORT -

Top 20 countries where British nationals required the most consular assistance from 01 April 2008 - 31 March 2009

british_abroad_report_240809.pdf

Britons continue to get into trouble abroad (25/08/2009)

From the official website: http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/newsroom/latest-n...amp;id=20749754

LaoPo