ISTANBUL: A British couple returning home from Thailand were arrested at Istanbul airport with 20 kg of cannabis in their luggage, authorities confirmed on Thursday (May 7).
A suitcase belonging to one of the Britons was filled with the drugs, sealed in vacuum-packed wrapping, according to Turkish customs film released by the local news agency DHA.
The two suspects, aged 20 according to several British media outlets, were arrested on April 26 before being questioned and placed in pre-trial detention.
“We are providing support to two British nationals detained in Turkey as well as their families, and are in touch with local authorities,” the British foreign ministry said in a statement to AFP.
Thailand decriminalised cannabis in 2022, and after a spike in arrests at UK airports British officials have repeatedly warned travellers not to bring the drug back home.
Two young French women – also returning from Thailand – were each sentenced to 10 years in prison in Turkey after being arrested 10 months earlier at Istanbul airport with nearly 25kg of cannabis.
In a report published in 2025, the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) expressed concern over an increase in cannabis seizures originating from Thailand. - AFP
