Police yesterday, July 21, arrested an Indian national in the central province of Chanthaburi for the illegal possession and attempted smuggling of nearly 20 kilogrammes of cannabis flowers.
Officials from Chanthaburi Immigration, along with police officers, were patrolling Ban Laem Market in Pong Nam Ron district when they noticed a suspicious-looking Indian man. He reportedly behaved nervously upon encountering the officials, prompting them to search for his person and belongings.
The man was later identified as Raj Raunak. Officers discovered 44 packs of cannabis flowers, weighing approximately 19.8 kilogrammes, in his two bags.
Confronted with the evidence, Raj confessed that he had bought the cannabis buds from a Thai national in Bangkok and intended to smuggle them into Cambodia for resale.
Upon reviewing his passport, police found that Raj had travelled frequently between Thailand and Cambodia. He reportedly chose to cross the border late in the day, when the checkpoint was close to closing, in an attempt to avoid thorough inspections.
Raj now faces two charges:
- Section 242 of the Customs Act: Importing goods without a customs permit, punishable by up to one year’s imprisonment, a fine of up to 20,000 baht, or both.
- Section 46 of the Promotion and Protection of the Traditional Thai Medical Wisdom Act: Studying, exporting, distributing, or manufacturing controlled herbs without a permit. The penalty is up to one year in prison, a fine of up to 20,000 baht, or both.
Laws and regulations governing the use and distribution of cannabis in Thailand remain controversial. The Thai government had previously considered repealing the legalisation of cannabis, but the proposal faced opposition from users and business operators.
In response, the government placed cannabis as a controlled herb and issued a regulation requiring all cannabis users to present a medical prescription upon purchase.
Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin also announced that each cannabis shop will, in the future, be required to have a doctor or certified cannabis specialist on-site to verify clients’ medical prescriptions.
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