Cannabis smugglers from Vaud: Two Swiss caught in drug trap in Thailand
A Snapchat advert offering free holidays lured two young men from Vaud to Thailand as drug couriers. One remains in custody awaiting trial.
Snapchat advert leads 18- and 19-year-olds to Phuket
Free holidays in Thailand, pocket money included – and in the end 16 kilogrammes of cannabis in their luggage: According to SRF, two young men from the canton of Vaud fell into a drug trap after being recruited via Snapchat.
The advert promised everything: flight tickets, hotel and 600 Swiss francs pocket money for two weeks. In return, they were to transport a suitcase with allegedly iPhone devices to Switzerland. The reward: 8,000 francs.
The 18- and 19-year-old accepted the offer. On 13 July they arrived in Bangkok and travelled on to Phuket. They spent several days on the beach, rode jet skis and visited a shooting range.
The day before their departure, they were asked by their recruiters to leave their suitcases at the hotel reception. When they collected their luggage again, it had been swapped – the two men suspected nothing.
Shortly before the flight, one of the men from Vaud sent his mother a message and showed her, among other things, football shirts that he wanted to bring back to Switzerland as souvenirs.
Arrest at Phuket Airport
At the airport, the two were already waiting at the gate for their flight when a message called them back. Customs officials took them away and discovered 16 kilogrammes of cannabis in the luggage.
One of the two was able to leave Thailand quickly after paying a fine of 6,300 francs to customs. According to information from RTS, however, he had to raise a total of around 18,000 francs to be able to leave the country without a criminal record.
The lawyer for the two Swiss men, Thatsanavanh Banchong, explained this to West Swiss radio and television (RTS): "It is a criminal offence, but also a customs violation. If you pay the fine to customs, you can leave with your passport as if nothing happened."
18-year-old remains in custody
The situation is far more difficult for the younger of the two. His mother was unable to raise the approximately 4,000 francs for his release in time. He remained detained in Thailand and is now awaiting his trial, which is due to begin shortly.
"I don't know what will happen if I can't raise the full amount," says his mother, who works in a factory and earns 4,800 francs a month. She had to borrow money and request advance wages to cover legal costs and further possible claims. "It's difficult to sleep at night. Someone is missing from home. I don't know where he is, where he sleeps, what he eats."
The police officer involved in the arrest described the young men to RTS as victims who were manipulated by criminal networks. "For the parents it is difficult and sad," he said.
Hundreds of Europeans detained in Thailand
Lawyer Banchong pointed out that Thailand's drug policy has recently been toughened. Depending on the quantity and circumstances, prison sentences of one to ten years now threaten. Currently, hundreds of young Europeans are in detention in Thailand for similar offences.
The phenomenon is also measurable in Switzerland: at Zurich airport, 97 drug couriers were arrested between January and October, 73 of them from Thailand – all with cannabis in their luggage. In Geneva, at least 15 couriers from Bangkok were apprehended in the same period up to July; they had transported more than half a tonne of cannabis in total.
Source: SRF