The UK Home Office has announced a dramatic 90% reduction in cannabis shipments from Thailand following a major international enforcement operation. Just three months after intercepting 15 tonnes of mailed cannabis in late 2024, UK authorities reported seizing only 1.5 tonnes in early 2025 – a decline attributed to new pre-shipment inspections implemented by Thai Customs.
The breakthrough comes after Thailand’s 2022 cannabis decriminalization created an unexpected challenge for UK border security, with criminal networks exploiting legal changes to flood British mail systems with illicit shipments. Border Force teams, supported by Royal Mail, had been uncovering record volumes – part of a wider £3bn wave of UK drug seizures in 2024 that marked a 52% annual increase.
“Stopping these drugs at source is disrupting organized crime while freeing up Border Force resources,” said Border Minister Seema Malhotra, praising the joint operation as key to Labour’s “safer streets” agenda. Thai authorities have intercepted over 800 smuggling attempts since October 2024, seizing nine tonnes of cannabis before export.
The crackdown extends beyond mailrooms. Under Operation Chaophraya, a UK-Thai task force stationed at Bangkok Airport has intercepted £6m of cannabis from passenger luggage, resulting in 50+ British nationals being arrested for smuggling attempts since July 2024.
Border Force Director General Phil Douglas emphasized the strategy’s intelligence-led approach: “We’re preventing illicit goods from even reaching UK shores through advanced international cooperation.” The success highlights how global drug policy shifts require equally dynamic enforcement responses – a model the UK may replicate as cannabis laws continue evolving worldwide.
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