Brit faces 20 years in Thai prison after being stopped for not wearing helmet on motorbike
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A British tourist is facing up to 20 years in a Thailand prison after he was stopped by police for riding a motorcycle without a helmet. Andrew Joseph Obrien, 23, from Liverpool, was travelling through holiday island Phuket on January 8 when he caught the attention of authorities, who saw him without any protective gear. When the cops approached him, they decided to carry out a frisk search - and allegedly found several bags of the drug ketamine in his pockets.
Andrew was then hauled to the police station to face charges. Police Lieutenant Colonel Thanapop Rattanaburi of the Kamala Police Station said: "The police on patrol followed him until he parked in front of a restaurant. They asked to search him due to his suspicious behaviour.
"During the interrogation, he admitted to possessing 0.17 ounces (4.7 grams) of ketamine, which was divided into small bags. The suspect was charged with selling or possessing a Type 2 controlled substance, ketamine, without authorisation, with the intent to trade.".
Under Thai law, Ketamine is classed as a "Schedule 2" drug, with offenders facing up to five years in prison and a fine of up to 100,000 Baht (£2,300) for possession. Jail terms can rise to as much as 20 years for those convicted of dealing the drug, depending on the the amount they were caught with, the scale of the operation and their co-operation with officials.
Andrew was remanded in custody for further questioning. Officers said that he would be passed to another legal department for the paperwork to be processed before he appears in court, but Thailand's justice system has allowed many suspects to negotiate a fine for them to be released before the case progresses to court.
