LONDON — A British couple has been charged with attempting to smuggle over £1 million worth of cannabis into the UK following a trip to Thailand, amid a growing trend of drug-related arrests involving UK nationals returning from Southeast Asia.
Sian Warren, 34, and Daniel McDonald, 36, were arrested at Heathrow Airport after arriving from Bangkok. Officers from the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) discovered more than 51 kilograms of cannabis packed into four suitcases. The street value of the drugs is estimated at over £1 million (approximately 47 million Thai baht).
The pair were charged with importing Class B drugs and appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court the following day. Both have been released on bail under curfew conditions and are scheduled to appear at Isleworth Crown Court for a plea hearing on June 26.
Warren and McDonald reportedly left Salford, Greater Manchester, last month for what was described as a dream holiday in Bangkok. According to British media, Warren works as an administrator in McDonald’s family-run construction business. Her father, Tony Warren, has denied the allegations, stating, “Sian’s not brought anything back, definitely not. She had her own suitcase with clothes in it.”
The case comes amid a spate of similar incidents involving young British nationals arrested after travelling to or from Thailand. In April, 21-year-old Cameron Bradford from Hertfordshire was detained at Munich Airport after allegedly arriving from Thailand with a suitcase full of cannabis. In a separate case in May, 18-year-old Bella May Culley from County Durham was reported missing during a holiday in Thailand. She was later found to have been arrested in Georgia, over 6,000 kilometres away — allegedly in possession of 14 kilograms of cannabis.
Cannabis laws in Thailand have undergone significant changes in recent years. In June 2022, Thailand became the first country in Asia to decriminalize cannabis, primarily for medicinal and industrial use. However, exporting cannabis or possessing large quantities with the intent to traffic remains a serious criminal offence — both under Thai law and in most countries, including the UK.
