The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has issued a stark warning to Brits planning to travel abroad with luggage.
With tens of millions of overseas trips made from the UK each year, the FCDO regularly shares information aimed at ensuring the safety of UK travellers.
And in a recent alert on X, formerly known as Twitter, the FCDO shared a warning about baggage.
The post reads: “Criminal gangs are known to pressure people into carrying drugs. Always pack your own luggage and do not carry anything through customs for someone else.”
An accompanying graphic further warns: “There’s no such thing as a free holiday. You booked a jail sentence. Do not carry cannabis through customs for someone else.”
The cautionary advice follows incidents where British nationals have been arrested for smuggling cannabis out of Thailand. While low-strength cannabis is legal in the south-east Asian nation, the FCDO emphasises that cannabis of any strength is illegal in the UK, and potentially unlawful in other countries you may visit.
Travellers are reminded that airports have “excellent technology and security for detecting illegal items”. Anyone caught smuggling cannabis in foreign countries could face serious consequences, including lengthy prison sentences or even the death penalty.
FCDO guidance further states: “Legal processes before court hearings can be long and expensive. It can take many months for a case to go to trial. In some countries, you can be arrested if you have traces of cannabis on your clothing, baggage or within you.
“Random blood and urine tests can be taken to see if it is within you. It is illegal to take cannabis out of Thailand without the appropriate export permissions issued by the authorities.
“Illegally carrying cannabis, particularly large quantities, can lead to heavy fines or imprisonment in Thailand.”