News:2026-09-14/Report/foreign-office-reports-more-than-200-britons-detained-over-cannabis-originating-in-thailand

News record14 September 2026Report

Foreign office reports more than 200 Britons detained over cannabis originating in Thailand

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said in a statement published on 14 September 2026 that consular cases involving British nationals arrested abroad for drug smuggling had more than quadrupled between 2023 and 2025, from about 80 cases to more than 340, with over 160 further cases already recorded in 2026. The department said more than 200 British nationals are currently detained abroad in connection with cannabis originating from Thailand, and that about 60 per cent of those detained since 2024 were aged between 16 and 30. It reported separately that Border Force detected 7.7 tonnes of cannabis carried by air passengers arriving in the United Kingdom between June and July 2026, of which 6.5 tonnes came from Thailand. The minister for consular and crisis response, Stephen Doughty, described a pattern in which criminal groups recruit young people through social media with offers of free travel or easy money and misrepresent what their luggage contains. The quadrupling figure covers all drugs and is not specific to cannabis.

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More news from Thailand

• 8 Sep 2026Phuket reports 1,065 cannabis shops after 35 licences are revoked and 112 suspended
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• 5 Jul 2026Thai PM Anutin warns Thailand may shut down its cannabis industry after overseas seizures

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Date14 Sep 2026

CategoryReport

CountryThailand

AgencyForeign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Source report

2026-09-14 Report Foreign office reports more than 200 Britons detained over cannabis originating in Thailand The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said in a statement published on 14 September 2026 that consular cases involving British nationals arrested abroad for drug smuggling had more than quadrupled between 2023 and 2025, from about 80 cases to more than 340, with over 160 further cases already recorded in 2026. The department said more than 200 British nationals are currently detained abroad in connection with cannabis originating from Thailand, and that about 60 per cent of those detained since 2024 were aged between 16 and 30. It reported separately that Border Force detected 7.7 tonnes of cannabis carried by air passengers arriving in the United Kingdom between June and July 2026, of which 6.5 tonnes came from Thailand. The minister for consular and crisis response, Stephen Doughty, described a pattern in which criminal groups recruit young people through social media with offers of free travel or easy money and misrepresent what their luggage contains. The quadrupling figure covers all drugs and is not specific to cannabis. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/young-brits-recruited-as-drug-mules-as-overseas-drug-smuggling-arrests-quadruple-in-three-years Thailand Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office