British tourist faces death penalty in Thailand after 'being found with 9kg of crystal meth in his suitcase'

George Wilson, 23, was arrested at a hotel in the red-light area of Bangkok on Monday evening, holding a bag containing more than 9 kilos of methamphetamine, local police said.

He had allegedly been given the suitcase by another British tourist and was apprehended by vice squad officers, who had been tracking the movements of the drug gang for days.

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The suspect, from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, was filmed telling police he had been in Thailand for "two weeks" and "didn't know" anything about the pink suitcase.

When officers opened the case, they found methamphetamine concealed in 10 green foil bags of Chinese tea, which were hidden under a pair of flip flops and a white towel.

Wilson continued to plead his innocence, telling officers again: "I don't know what it is."

But the packages were opened on camera to reveal the drugs, which were confirmed to be methamphetamine via a quick chemical test.

The Briton has been held in custody and will appear at court on October 1.

Speaking today, Lieutenant Colonel Noppha Thongbo, from the Lumpini district station, said: "The suspect's full name is George Henry Allaway Wilson, born on 29 July, 2002, from High Wycombe.

"He was arrested on September 29 at 6pm. He is currently in police custody and will be taken to the Bangkok South Criminal Court tomorrow for detention in prison."

Wilson allegedly told police a British drug runner named 'Snoopy" handed him the meth-filled suitcase and that he was paid £460 for his role in the smuggling.

In exchange for the money, he was expected to carry the narcotics through Thailand's Suvarnabhumi International Airport and onto the destination country, where another gang member was due to meet him.

But officers, who had gathered days worth of intelligence on the suspects, were ready for Wilson at the hotel after checking CCTV footage and confirming the packages had been delivered.

They obtained an arrest warrant from the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) to search the hotel room and discovered 9,152.3 grams of crystal methamphetamine in the suitcase.

The meth is believed to have been produced in Myanmar, a civil-war ravaged country in south-east Asia, before arriving in Thailand.

This route is a notorious transit hub for illegal activities.

Colonel Siranawitcha Intorn, Superintendent of the Crime Suppression Division, Metropolitan Police Bureau Division 5, said: "George Wilson has been charged with distributing Category 1 narcotics, specifically methamphetamine or ice, with intent to sell in violation of the law, which constitutes a commercial act that contributes to the spread of the drug among the public.

"We believe he was part of a cross-border drug smuggling network, which is very serious. The amount of drugs seized was also very large. The highest levels of the Royal Thai Police have coordinated to make the arrest."

Under Thai law, importing or exporting Category 1 narcotics - such as Meth - carries a maximum punishment of the death penalty.

However, this sentence is rarely used, with life in prison more likely. Furthermore, mitigating factors may help the sentence to be reduced to no less than 10 to 20 years.

Lieutenant Colonel Pongtanin Bamrungsuksawat, the Deputy Chief of the Detective Division, Metropolitan Police Division 5, said he acted as an interpreter during the arrest.

He said: "I spoke English with the suspect. He confirmed that the items were his. The charges were explained to him along with his rights and he was handcuffed and taken into custody for legal processing."