Bangkok: Filipino couple arrested for shipping 10 kilos of cannabis

A couple from the Philippines were taken into custody in Bangkok yesterday on suspicion of mailing a package containing 10 kilogrammes of dried cannabis to their home country to sell it.

Bangkok’s Immigration Police apprehended the couple at a townhouse on Soi 65 On Nut in the Prawet district. The arrest came after information received from the Philippine authorities. In February, customs officers in the Philippines intercepted a parcel containing 10 kilogrammes of dried cannabis which was sent from Thailand to Manila.

Deputy Chief of the Immigration Bureau, Police Major General Phanthana Nuchanart, shared that dried marijuana could command a price of approximately 975 baht per gramme in the Philippines. Hence, the confiscated cannabis could potentially have a street value of 10 million baht in Manila.

Pol. Maj. Gen. Phanthana revealed that the suspicious package was dispatched through a parcel service in Bangkok. The investigation led authorities to identify the senders as a Philippine couple, 35 year old John Andrew Tiangson and 30 year old Eena Bianca Marie Cruz, who had been residing in Thailand with overstayed visas for nine years.

Upon tracing their location to a townhouse on Soi 65 On Nut, immigration police proceeded to make the arrest. The couple is now in the custody of Prawet police, pending legal proceedings and eventual deportation, reported Bangkok Post.

Pol. Maj. Gen. Phanthana also warned that the couple would be placed on the Immigration blacklist for 10 years.

In related news, in a significant public announcement, Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul voiced his stance on the ongoing cannabis debate in Thailand, declaring he supports regulated use. This followed an interview with Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on France 24, in which the leader suggested the reclassification of marijuana as an illicit substance due to its deemed harmful effects on Thai society.

In other news, a 23 year old man experienced a hallucinatory episode after consuming cannabis, leading to a high-speed chase and subsequent arrest by local police.