Turkish man arrested in Phuket for illegally selling cannabis
Police arrested a Turkish man in the Patong area of Phuket for illegally selling cannabis in the province.
Patong Police Station officers reported the arrest of the 33 year old Turkish man, whose name remains undisclosed, yesterday, March 6. The arrest took place outside the Weed Kebab store on Bangla Road on Wednesday.
The Turkish man was found illegally distributing cannabis without a permit. As a result, he was charged with violating the Foreigners’ Working Management Act by working illegally in a restricted occupation (crafting hand-rolled cigarettes) and working without a permit.
The penalty includes a fine of 5,000 to 50,000 baht, deportation, and a two-year ban on applying for a work permit, according to Sections 7 and 8 of the Act.
Officers also confiscated evidence from the foreign man, including a price list, a roll of cannabis flowers mixed with tobacco, and 21.4 grammes of ground cannabis.
It has not been clarified whether the Turkish man is the owner of Weed Kebab. The store recently gained attention from cannabis users, particularly foreigners, due to its creative method of selling cannabis. The sellers slid ganja from a large skewer, mimicking the way kebab sellers slice meat.
Following videos shared by customers impressed with the shop, the Turkish man was frequently seen with two Thai women. It has not been stated whether the two women face any legal consequences.
In a related story, a Thai national who operates a travel agency in Turkey issued a warning to Thai women to beware of being tricked into smuggling cannabis into the country.
In an interview with PPTV HD, the travel agent revealed that an increasing number of Thai women had been arrested at Turkish airports for carrying cannabis and other drugs.
Reports suggest that Turkish men approached Thai women romantically, treated them well, and provided financial support before persuading them to travel back to Turkey with them. They would ask the women to carry a bag, unaware that it contained cannabis, leading to their arrests at airports.
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