PHUKET, Thailand — Two Uzbek nationals have been arrested at Phuket International Airport after customs officials uncovered massive quantities of cannabis concealed in their luggage as they attempted to depart Thailand. The seizures highlight ongoing efforts by Thai authorities to strictly regulate the export of controlled substances following recent changes in domestic cannabis laws.

Customs Seizes Heroin, Suspected Scam Phones in Phuket Airport Busts

The arrests occurred on July 1, 2026, during routine baggage inspections at the international departures terminal. Customs officials, working in cooperation with allied security agencies, targeted the travelers’ luggage for secondary screening after X-ray machines detected dense, anomalous packages. The suspects were attempting to transport the illicit products out of the country without declaring them or completing the mandatory customs procedures.

The first suspect, identified as 26-year-old Jalilboyevich Bunyodboy Juraboev, was intercepted in the Baggage Inspection Room on the first floor of the terminal. Officers selected two of his four suitcases for a meticulous physical examination. Inside the luggage, investigators discovered 30 vacuum-sealed packages containing dried cannabis flower with a total gross weight of 9.8 kilograms. Additionally, the search yielded 14 processed cannabis bars with a combined gross weight of 1.03 kilograms.

Shortly after, a second 26-year-old Uzbek citizen, Mukhiddinovich Nursayid Mukhiddinov, was stopped under similar circumstances in the same inspection facility. A thorough search of his belongings revealed an even larger and more diverse cache of narcotics. Authorities confiscated 30 packages of dried cannabis flower weighing 9.8 kilograms, alongside eight bags of cannabis resin totaling 4.1 kilograms. The search also uncovered various other processed cannabis products, including one package, five bars, and nine blocks, which together weighed an additional two kilograms.

Uzbek men arrested with 31kg of cannabis at Phuket airport https://t.co/YCCDoSRryF

— Bangkok Davie (@bangkokdavie) July 2, 2026

Customs officials invited both passengers to witness the physical searches of their belongings. According to the authorities, both men acknowledged ownership of the suitcases and consented to the inspections, which subsequently confirmed the presence of the suspicious items initially flagged by the X-ray scanners.

Both suspects have been formally charged with attempting to export goods from Thailand without completing the required customs formalities, in violation of the Customs Act B.E. 2560. Furthermore, they face severe charges under Thailand’s narcotics legislation and the Ministry of Public Health regulations that govern the control and export of herbs, including cannabis.

According to reports from Amarin, the two men and the entirety of the seized contraband were subsequently handed over to investigators at the Sakhu Police Station for formal legal proceedings. The case is being closely supervised by Pol Col Salan Santisatsanakul, the chief of Sakhu Police Station, as investigating officers build the case file in strict accordance with Thai law.

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As the legal process moves forward, authorities are continuing to investigate the origins of the narcotics and the supply chain responsible for packaging the drugs for international transport.

-Thailand News (TN)