Customs seize 5.3kg of marijuana buds at Suvarnabhumi Airport
A package of marijuana weighing 5.3kg was seized by customs officials at Suvarnabhumi Airport on Tuesday.
The package was sent via express courier with the importer’s name listed as Julpaos Kresopon, while details of the type of parcel were left blank, said Customs Department director-general Pachara Anantasilp.
“Officials opened the package and found it contained marijuana buds, which cannot be imported into Thailand unless the importer presents a permit issued by Department of Agriculture to customs officials,” he said.
“The importer of this package therefore violated the Customs Act of 2017 and the Plant Quarantine Act of 1964.”
An investigation revealed the same importer had allegedly committed a similar offence twice. The department filed a police complaint to press charges against him, Pachara added.
Although Thailand has legalised marijuana and hemp since June 9 and allowed the former narcotic plants to be grown freely, the recreational use of the plants is still prohibited. Selling these to persons under 20 years old, pregnant or nursing women is also banned.
All extraction, processing, sales, import and export of marijuana needs to be approved by authorities, such as the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Agriculture. Furthermore, the concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in marijuana products must be lower than 0.2 per cent.
