Mum warns Brit tourists after son held on drugs charges
Mum warns Brit tourists after son held on drugs charges
Michelle Swain's family received a nightmare call from her son saying he had been arrested in Thailand
Phuket viewed from an airplane in the sky.
(Image: iStock/Getty Images )
The mother of a man arrested in Thailand on drugs charges has issued a warning to people travelling to the country. Jamie Louis Swain was stopped by immigration officers at Phuket Internation Airport last year after a bag of cocaine was found in his passport. Jamie, then 29, from Stevenage, planned a trip to Thailand with his brother last May but it became a nightmare, his mum Michelle Swain said. When the brothers landed at Phuket she said Jamie was pulled aside when an immigration officer noticed a small plastic bag with white powder in his passport.
Officers claimed Jamie began to swear and shake and they made further checks. He was arrested after officials scanned his luggage and tested the substance found in his passport and confirmed it was 0.42 grams of cocaine. Jamie is now said to be facing up to 20 years in jail under Thailand's Narcotics Act, but after a court hearing in July last year he was deported back to the UK.
Jamie avoided incareration but was ordered to pay a fine of 50,000 baht (£1,137). Now Michelle, 57, says her family went through hell when they had a phone call from her son saying he arrived at Phuket island for his much looked forward to holiday only to be arrested at immigration, the Mirror reports.
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Speaking to MailOnline, Ms Swain claimed her son was 'set up'. She said: "People say it's because I'm his mum I don't believe it, but to get through two airports and the fact it's happened to other people, I just feel that it was a set up.
"I can't help that, I know I'm his mum, and I'm not silly I know they're all doing this and it all goes on, I'm not naive I've got three boys. But I just feel like to get through two airports and then suddenly this bag appears, and he'd had his passport out all that time, I just find it very strange."
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She said Jamie was kept in a 'holding cell' for around two days before being released on bail. She flew out to Phuket on the same night he was detained, and said the "awful" situation left her anxious that's he'd be locked up in a foreign jail.
The mother-of-three said: "He said there was no water, no food, nothing. He was in there about two days then he got bail. It wasn't a high bail amount. He then had to stay there [in Phuket] for three months at least, they wouldn't let him go. He had a court date at the end of July and he got fined. "
Ms Swain said her son was eventually got deported and flew home at the beginning of August. She was initially warned by solicitors he could face up to a year behind bars, but he was released on bail for the equivalent of £250, and was fined just over £1,000.
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Ms Swain had this warning for others heading to Thailand. She said while the country and the people are 'beautiful' and 'friendly', travellers 'should be careful'. She said: 'It was just meant to be a nice holiday. It could happen to any young boys going out there. There's nothing you can do, you can be careful, but if that happens there's nothing you can do about it."
She added: "It is frightening for the youngsters, it's happening all the time out there. It was just an awful experience, I wouldn't want to put anyone ever through that. I would never wish it on anyone. The worry alone was terrible. It's a shame he had to go through that really, it can ruin people's lives. I don't think they see the damage it can do to young boys' lives."
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