British “mules” caught smuggling cannabis from Thailand face jail and a charge for every kilo they are carrying under new tough measures to combat a drug trafficking “explosion”.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) warning came after a North West investigation heard how gangs were making huge profits sending couriers from Bangkok to the UK with loads in suitcases destined for the streets of the cities and towns of the north of England.
The agency is joining Thai Authorities and the Home Office to combat the surge.
Anyone caught trying to fly the drug out of Thailand will have to pay Thai Customs 30,000 Baht – the equivalent to around £680 per kilogram of cannabis – to leave the country.
The number of smuggling attempts from Thailand has continued to rise sharply – despite efforts to tighten relaxed laws there around cultivation – as dealers attempt to cash in on huge demand for super-strength weed.
Last year, 976 air passengers were caught arriving in the UK with cannabis, a massive increase from the 142 arrested in 2023.
And 2026 has seen 600 couriers arrested at UK airports in the first six months, according the the NCA.
The agency said the “average” smuggler is caught in Thailand with 26 kg (57lb) – which would result in a fine of £17,680 under the new rules brought in on 17 June.
Failure to pay, it said, would lead to a criminal prosecution with up to two years in jail.
Beki Wright, head of the NCA’s borders threat team, warned would-be couriers that “the crime group that paid you to smuggle it will leave you high and dry”.
She added: “If convicted, you face potentially life-changing jail sentences both in the UK and especially abroad. You’ll also have a criminal record, which could wreck future job prospects and your ability to travel abroad.
“It just isn’t worth the risk.”