At least eleven young French nationals have been held in Thailand on cannabis trafficking accusations since the start of summer 2026.[1] Thai customs officers found cannabis in their luggage at airports and handed them to the Thai police, who placed them in pre-trial detention to await a judge.[2][3] Their luggage held several kilograms of cannabis, according to a police source cited by BFMTV.[4] Two more French nationals were held in Hong Kong after arriving from Thailand and being stopped in transit with cannabis in suitcases.[1]

One Hong Kong suitcase held 16.8 kilograms of cannabis, according to a relative of one of the two detainees quoted by AFP.[5] A customs fine of 30,000 baht (about 790 euros) per kilogram of drug seized has applied systematically in Thailand since 18 June 2026.[1] Non-payment of the fine leads to police custody and detention awaiting trial, according to the French foreign ministry’s France Diplomatie travel site.[1]

A French diplomatic source said consular services in Thailand and Hong Kong were mobilised and in contact with the families.[1] The Parquet national anti-criminalité organisée (Pnaco), France’s national prosecutor’s office for organised crime, said it had investigations under way into the “plans Thaïlande” recruitment.[1] Recruiters publish advertisements on apps such as Snapchat offering fully paid holidays in Thailand in exchange for bringing a suitcase back to Europe that supposedly holds phones but in reality holds 10 to 20 kg of cannabis, the Pnaco said.[1][3] The Pnaco said its aim was to identify those behind the operation and the networks, and to understand how the young people were recruited.[1]

The lawyer for the two Hong Kong detainees said these cases involving young French or other European nationals were rising appreciably, and that he was handling four such files.[1] The lawyer said the people involved were often middle-class boys from rather disadvantaged backgrounds.[1] The sister-in-law of one Hong Kong detainee said he thought he had been recruited online to bring smartphones back for a French company in exchange for free holidays and pay of up to 3,000 euros.[1]

Those who do not pay can be taken into custody and held awaiting trial, and face between two and ten years in prison.[3] Before mid-June 2026, travellers stopped with cannabis had the goods confiscated and were allowed to leave.[3]