KOH SAMUI– Thai Customs authorities at Samui International Airport have arrested a Brazilian couple after finding 6.63 kilograms of cocaine hidden in their suitcases.
The two individuals, Diego dos Santos Silva (35) and Fernanda Gabriele Lorenco de Andrade (25), were taken into custody after arriving on a Bangkok Airways flight PG123 from Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Their journey began in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and included a stop in Doha, Qatar, before they reached Thailand. Airport officials used modern scanning systems to identify the drugs, which were concealed inside two black bags among their clothes and belongings.
One suitcase contained 3.62 kilograms of cocaine, while the other carried 3.31 kilograms. The total street value of the drugs exceeds 20 million baht, or about 600,000 US dollars.
During questioning at Bo Phut Police Station, the pair said it was their first visit to Thailand.
They claimed a Brazilian contact offered them free flights and hotel stays in exchange for bringing the bags, with the promise of 35,000 Brazilian reais (around 200,000 baht) after delivering the luggage to someone expected to meet them in Koh Samui.
Police are now trying to find out if they are linked to a wider drug operation.
Increase in Drug Busts at Airports
This case is the latest in a series of drug busts involving foreign travellers in Thailand as officials step up their efforts at major airports. In May 2025, another Brazilian couple, both in their mid-20s, were stopped at Suvarnabhumi Airport with 7.4 kilograms of cocaine, worth roughly 22 million baht.
They had travelled from Salvador, Brazil, through Paris. Officers found the drugs inside their bags wrapped in black carbon paper after scanning their luggage.
Earlier in the year, on 8 April, a 24-year-old man from New Zealand was held at Phuket International Airport after officers found 0.18 grams of cocaine inside his passport. While much less in quantity, this incident shows the strict approach of Thai border agencies.
In a separate incident in February 2022, three Brazilians were arrested at Suvarnabhumi for smuggling 15.5 kilograms of cocaine, valued at about 46.5 million baht. They had also come via Doha, revealing a route often used by traffickers from South America.
Thailand strictly bans cocaine under its Narcotics Code and the Psychotropic Substances Act of 1975. Those found smuggling, possessing, or selling cocaine face tough penalties.
Tightened Airport Security
Smuggling drugs into or out of the country can bring jail terms between five and 20 years and fines from 100,000 to 400,000 baht. For larger cases, such as the 6.63 kilograms seized in Koh Samui, punishment can reach 20 years to life in prison, with fines between two and five million baht.
Having more than 100 grams of pure narcotics is classed as intent to sell, which brings heavier penalties. While Thai law allows for the death penalty for major drug offences, this is hardly ever enforced against foreigners who plead guilty.
More often, sentences involve long prison terms. Depending on agreements between countries, offenders may qualify for royal pardons or be sent home after serving half their time.
Customs and police in Thailand have increased security at airports, using better detection devices and working with foreign agencies to intercept smuggled drugs. From 1 October 2024 to 6 May 2025, Customs reported 140 cases involving illegal drugs, with seizures valued at more than 800 million baht.
Investigators believe Thailand often acts as a stopover for drugs heading to other Asian countries, although some seizures, like the recent Samui case, suggest some drugs may also be sold within Thailand’s borders. Forensic work is underway to trace the source of the cocaine, which may link back to South American crime groups.
Pol Lt Gen Surapol Thanomjit, head of Provincial Police Region 8, stressed the need for ongoing vigilance. He encouraged the public to report any unusual activity to support the police’s anti-drugs work.
Thailand remains a popular tourist destination, but drug-related arrests are a stark reminder of the country’s tough approach to trafficking. The Brazilian couple will now go through the legal process at Bo Phut Police Station as the investigation continues.
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