Latest news with #NarcoticsAct
Wales Online
28-05-2025
- Wales Online
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. Sign up for our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here. 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." Article continues below 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. Article continues below 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."
Daily Mirror
26-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Mum's stark warning to Brit tourists after son held in Thailand on drugs charges
Michelle Swain, 57, says her family went through hell when they received a call from her son saying he had been arrested at Phuket airport by immigration officers The mother of a man held at a Thai airport after a bag of cocaine was found in his passport has issued a stark warning to anyone travelling to Thailand. Last year Jamie Louis Swain, then 29, from Stevenage, planned a trip to Thailand with his brother in May but what was supposed to be a relaxing holiday turned into a nightmare for Jamie and his family. When the brothers landed at Phuket International Airport Jamie was pulled aside when an immigration officer noticed a small plastic bag with white powder in his passport. Officers said that Jamie started swearing and shaking, which prompted authorities to conduct 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. He was said to be facing up to 20 years in jail under Thailand's Narcotics Act, but after a court hearing in July he was deported back to the UK. He avoided a stint behind bars but was ordered to pay a fine of 50,000 baht (£1,137). Michelle Swain, 57, says her family went through hell when they received a call from her son saying he had arrived at Phuket island for his much-anticipated holiday only to be arrested at immigration. Speaking to MailOnline, Ms Swain has detailed the traumatic incident, alleging that it was a '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." She said her son was then held in a 'holding cell' for around two days before being let out on bail. She had flown out to Phuket on the same night he had been detained, and says the 'awful' experience had her worried he would be jailed 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 explained how he 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. Ms Swain had a stark warning for other Brit tourists 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."
Daily Mail
25-05-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE My son was called an idiot after cocaine was found his wallet at a Thai airport… but he was SET UP - here's my warning to other Brit holidaymakers
The mother of a man held at a Thai airport after a packet of cocaine was found in his passport has warned that it can 'happen to anyone' as she claims he was 'set up'. Michelle Swain, 57, says her family went through hell when they received a call from her son saying he had arrived at Phuket island for his much-anticipated holiday only to be arrested at immigration. Jamie Louis Swain, then 29, from Stevenage, landed at Phuket International Airport with his brother in May last year but was pulled aside when an immigration officer noticed a small plastic bag with white powder while flicking through his passport to find an empty page to place the visa stamp. Officers said that Swain reacted with surprise, before he started swearing and shaking, prompting authorities to conduct further inspections and scan his luggage. He was then arrested the airport, where police tested the substance found in his passport and confirmed it was 0.42 grams of cocaine. He was said to be facing up to 20 years in jail under Thailand 's Narcotics Act, but after a court hearing in July was deported back to the UK after being ordered to pay a fine of 50,000 baht (£1,137). Speaking to MailOnline, his mother has detailed the traumatic incident, alleging that it was a 'set up'. Ms Swain said: 'He went there with his brother, got through Heathrow, Dubai, and got to Thailand. 'His brother got through with his passport and then Jamie gave his passport and they said a bag fell out his passport. '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. 'It was less than a gram, it was ridiculous, but it was enough, as our solicitor said, to get money out of you. 'As I say, I still think [it was set up], I can't help it, because if that's the case then obviously Heathrow and Dubai airports are not doing their job. 'You get comments saying "oh how stupid", but no, because it wasn't in there. It must have been put in there. 'I think this happens more than we know. 'He's not the only person it's happened to, I know three people at least where it's been exactly what happened to Jamie. It's just too much of a coincidence.' Ms Swain told of how when she had been reached out to by people who had reported 'exactly' the same phenomenon of close to empty packets of cocaine being 'found' in their passports. She said her son was then held in a 'holding cell' for around two days before being let out on bail. She had flown out to Phuket on the same night he had been detained, and says the 'awful' experience had her worried he would be jailed in a foreign jail. The mother-of-three said: 'I flew out that night, straight away. 'He was taken to the police station and then he was put in a prison cell. He said it was not in a big prison, because he said he could see the sea from it. 'He was handcuffed in there with a Russian bloke, just them two. '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. He got fined and deported, but they couldn't deport him from there, so he had to go to Bangkok. 'So he had to get a flight from Phuket to Bangkok, and he was put in Bangkok prison for a couple of days. 'It wasn't very nice in there from what he said. It wasn't good. He said everyone in the prison were more interested in his story as a westerner, and they said to him "you're not going to get out of here". They said they had been there for years. 'He had a square mat and that's where he sort of stayed. I don't know how many were in [the cell], but he said there were separate cells like Somalians and different religions, and they said "if you misbehave you go in there, and you don't want to go in there". 'There were fights in there. 'But he managed to get through it. He flew back at the beginning of August.' While initial reports said the 29-year-old could be facing up to 20 years behind bars, he was released on bail for the equivalent of £250, and his fine came up to just over £1,000. The outcome came as a relief to Ms Swain, who said solicitors had initially warned the court could hand a sentence of six months to a year in jail. Under Thailand's Narcotics Act, importing cocaine into the country carries a maximum jail term of 20 years to life and a fine of £43,000 to 108,000 (2,000,000 – 5,000,000 Baht). Cocaine possession is punishable with up to five years or a fine not exceeding £2,000 (100,000 Baht) or both. Warning others, 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. 'When I see similar stories now, I do feel for the family. 'Until you're in that situation, everyone comments "oh you do the crime you do the time" but when you're in that situation it's awful. 'It's worrying, especially in another country, you don't speak Thai. 'Luckily our solicitor spoke English. Otherwise I don't know what we would have done. 'I don't know what you do if you have no money or have no one out there. '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.
Express Tribune
21-03-2025
- Express Tribune
'Drug peddlers' arrested
Police arrested five drug peddlers and seized a substantial quantity of narcotics, including 2165 grams of hashish, 1020 grams of heroin and 101 liters of alcohol. According to DPO office, the arrests were made possible through intelligence inputs, and cases have been registered against the accused under the Narcotics Act. The operation, conducted under the vision of "Drug-Free Punjab" envisioned by Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif.
Observer
13-02-2025
- Politics
- Observer
Scholz promises tough response after 'terrible attack' in Munich
FURTH: Germany Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledged a tough response in the wake of a suspected vehicle attack in Munich on Thursday morning, in which a man drove his car into a trade union rally. The driver has been identified by Munich authorities as a 24-year-old Afghan asylum-seeker. Scholz also expressed his deep sorrow, expressed his thoughts for those injured and their families and spoke of a "terrible attack." "This perpetrator cannot count on any leniency. He must be punished and he must leave the country," Scholz said just hours after the attack while at a political campaign event in the Bavarian city of Fürth. "It must be very clear that the judiciary will take tough action against this perpetrator with all the means at its disposal," said Scholz. "Anyone who commits crimes in Germany will not only be severely punished and sent to prison, but must also expect that they will not be able to continue their stay in Germany." Scholz stressed that must also be true for people from countries to which deportations are difficult, such as Afghanistan. Meanwhile, a car that drove into a trade union demonstration in Munich on Thursday morning is being treated as a "suspected attack," according to Bavarian state Premier Markus Söder. The suspected driver has been identified as a 24-year-old Afghan citizen who had applied for asylum in Germany, according to Munich police. At least 28 people were injured as the car sped just before 11 am into the rear of the demonstration, which had been organised by the verdi trade union, police said. Some of those hit by the car suffered severe, life-threatening injuries. Police officers at the scene fired one shot at the driver, a Munich police official said at a midday press conference with Söder. The driver was then promptly detained by police. "There is no further danger from him at the moment," Munich police spokesman Thomas Schelshorn said on Thursday morning. "We have no reason to believe that there is any danger to the public." The 24-year-old asylum-seeker from Afghanistan had previously attracted attention from German police for shoplifting and violations of the Narcotics Act, according to Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann. According to police, the man drove his car past a police vehicle that was guarding the rear of the trade union march in central Munich, between Stiglmaierplatz and the Central Train Station. Hermann credited police officers who were accompanying the march with reacting quickly to prevent further possible injuries. Based on reports from police officers accompanying the rally, as well as other witnesses, "we must assume that it was not an accident, but that he acted deliberately," Hermann said. Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter said he had been informed that children are among those injured. "I am deeply shocked," Reiter said. "My thoughts are with the injured." — dpa
