Five Suspects Arrested as Phuket Authorities Raid Four Unlicensed Cannabis Shops

Phuket authorities arrested five suspects and seized cannabis products and related items valued at more than 2.9 million baht during simultaneous raids on four shops in Muang District, officials said.

The operation was conducted by an integrated task force comprising provincial and district officials, the Phuket Public Health Office, the Internal Security Operations Command and the Provincial Police Investigation Division. It was carried out under the direction of Phuket Governor Chotinarin Kerdsom, who ordered agencies to strictly enforce laws against operators without proper licenses or those violating permit conditions.

At a cannabis shop in Karon, officers arrested a 26-year-old Thai man and seized more than 1.1 kilograms of dried cannabis flowers and 139 pre-rolled joints. He was charged with selling controlled herbal products without authorization. A 29-year-old Myanmar national was also arrested at the location and charged with working illegally outside permitted rights.

At a shop near the Juitui Intersection in Phuket Town, officers arrested a 26-year-old Thai man and seized 400 grams of cannabis flowers, pre-rolls, digital scales and 116 grams of suspicious mushroom-like material. The material was sent for laboratory testing. The man was charged with selling or processing controlled herbal products without a license.

At another cannabis shop in Karon, a 42-year-old Thai woman was arrested. Officers seized 1.5 kilograms of dried cannabis flowers and 49 joints. She was charged with selling controlled herbal products despite the suspension of the shop’s license.

At a cannabis shop on Phang Nga Road in Phuket Old Town, officers arrested a 25-year-old Thai man and seized 3.11 kilograms of cannabis flowers and 426 finished cannabis products. He was charged with operating a business while its license was under suspension.

All five suspects and the confiscated evidence were handed over to local investigators for prosecution. Officials said the crackdown reflects Phuket’s effort to regulate cannabis under Thai law and ensure that only licensed operators meet public health and safety requirements.