Down under dilemma: Australian arrested at Phuket Airport with cocaine stash hidden in passport
A 26 year old Australian national found himself in hot water upon his arrival at Phuket International Airport. The arrest came about after a small quantity of cocaine was discovered hidden within his passport by vigilant immigration officers.
The young man, whose name was conspicuously absent from the first reports released by the Phuket Immigration Checkpoint officers, was apprehended in the international arrivals hall around 9.30pm on Monday. The transgression? A small plastic bag containing precisely 0.17 grammes of cocaine was secretly stowed away in his passport.
The authorities transported the Australian to Sakhu Police Station where he would face the full force of the law. The charges levelled against him included illegal possession of a Category 2 narcotic and bringing a Category 2 narcotic, specifically cocaine, into Thailand without the necessary permissions.
Further details about the incident emerged from a report shared by the official Phuket Immigration Checkpoint Facebook page. The report identified the Australian as Shoma Fati Koko. His trip had begun in Sydney, from where he flew to Phuket aboard Jetstar Airlines Flight JQ 27, reported The Phuket News.
Upon his arrival, Koko approached the immigration counter to seek entry into Thailand. As part of the process, he handed over his passport to Immigration Officer Police Sergeant Shakrit Praekthong. It was at this point that Sgt. Shakrit uncovered a small clear plastic press-seal envelope containing a suspicious white powder tucked within the pages of the passport.
Airport customs officers were promptly summoned to analyse the suspicious substance. Their tests soon confirmed the worst: the white powder was indeed cocaine.
When confronted with the incriminating evidence, Koko vehemently denied any knowledge of the cocaine. He maintained that he had no idea how the illicit substance had found its way into his passport. Furthermore, he insisted that he had never consumed any form of drug. The investigation is ongoing.
