SURAT THANI – Four more foreign nationals have been arrested at Samui international airport on the southern tourist island with bags containing 110 kilogrammes of cannabis buds.

Police believe those arrested on Thursday might be linked to the five foreigners who were caught at the airport a day earlier with 144kg of cannabis destined for Britain and Singapore.

Thursday’s haul, weighing 110kg, was found hidden in seven suitcases during an X-ray scan, said Amorn Chumchuay, chief of the Koh Samui district office.

Police said the four suspects were departing for Hong Kong, where they were to board a flight for the United Kingdom before going to Germany.

The four were identified as British nationals Shaun Eric Bainbridge, 36, and Mark Searonsmith, 23; Paul Marian David, 48, a Romanian national; and Faesel Martires Modest, 58, a Dutch national.

During questioning, the suspects told police that they had been offered a free trip to Thailand. Meals and accommodation were also free, and in return they had to agree to bring out several suitcases on their departure.

A Thai brought the suitcases to them at their hotel. On reaching their destination, they were to receive their wages, according to the four suspects.

Customs officials initially filed a complaint against the suspects for trying to smuggle cannabis buds without passing customs procedures and violating the Traditional Medicine Wisdom Protection Act.

The four are being held in police custody at the Bo Phut police station on the island.

Pol Col Denduang Thongsrisook, chief of the Bo Phut station, said that given the similarities between the two cases, the four suspects arrested on Thursday were believed to be linked to the five foreigners caught the previous day.

The latter group — four Britons and a Malaysian — were arrested with seven bags containing 144kg of cannabis buds. This brought the two-day total to nine suspects, with 254kg of cannabis seized.

Police are now looking for those involved in organising the operation and recruiting foreign smugglers, said Pol Col Denduang.

A source said the seized cannabis buds were priced at 45,000 baht per kilogramme. The prices would be as much as 10 times higher if the buds were sold overseas.

Customs and police officers examine the seized cannabis buds at the Bo Phut police station on Koh Samui in Surat Thani province. (Photo: Supapong Chaolan)