Kiwi caught at Phuket Airport allegedly smuggling cocaine still detained in Thailand

A 24-year-old New Zealander was arrested at Phuket International Airport after attempting to smuggle cocaine into Thailand, concealing the drug inside his passport. Photo / Facebook Phuket Airport Immigration.

• A 24-year-old Kiwi who was arrested at Phuket Airport for allegedly smuggling cocaine remains detained in the country.
• Airport officials caught him with 0.18g of cocaine in his passport.
• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is providing consular assistance to the man.

The 24-year-old who was caught allegedly smuggling cocaine remains detained in Thailand three weeks after his arrest.

The New Zealand man was apprehended at Phuket Airport on April 8 after officials found 0.18g of cocaine in his passport.

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said the embassy in Bangkok was continuing to provide consular assistance to a New Zealander detained in Thailand.

“For privacy reasons no further information will be provided.”

Phuket Airport Immigration made the discovery during a routine check at the international arrivals hall.

The agency said the officers discovered 0.18g of cocaine hidden inside a small resealable plastic bag, which had been tucked into the suspect’s passport.

Photos were released of the man surrounded by police and immigration officers and the small bag of cocaine next to his passport.

A 24-year-old New Zealander was caught attempting to smuggle cocaine into Thailand, concealing the drug inside his passport. Photo / Facebook Phuket Airport Immigration.

The agency did not release the name of the man arrested.

He was taken into custody, where he will be “charged accordingly”, according to Phuket Airport Immigration.

Anyone importing, producing, or exporting a Category II drug faces a jail sentence in Thailand, with some offenders facing life behind bars in the country’s notorious penal system.

The 24-year-old is another in a string of Kiwis who have been arrested and detained in the south-east Asian country.

Brothers Hamish and Oscar Day were arrested in Phuket last year following a scuffle with a Thai police officer.

They were charged with multiple offences, including robbery, assaulting an officer, attempted bribery and driving a motorcycle without a licence.

In 2023, Ari Michael Salinger was arrested in Thailand after authorities caught him with two ecstasy pills.

He was detained and charged with drug possession.