My son was called an idiot after cocaine was found his wallet at a Thai airport… but he was SET UP – here’s my warning to other Brit holidaymakers

The mother of a man held at a Thai airport after a packet of cocaine was found in his passport has warned that it can ‘happen to anyone’ as she claims he was ‘set up’.

Michelle Swain, 57, says her family went through hell when they received a call from her son saying he had arrived at Phuket island for his much-anticipated holiday only to be arrested at immigration.

Jamie Louis Swain, then 29, from Stevenage, landed at Phuket International Airport with his brother in May last year but was pulled aside when an immigration officer noticed a small plastic bag with white powder while flicking through his passport to find an empty page to place the visa stamp.

Officers said that Swain reacted with surprise, before he started swearing and shaking, prompting authorities to conduct further inspections and scan his luggage.

He was then arrested the airport, where police tested the substance found in his passport and confirmed it was 0.42 grams of cocaine.

He was said to be facing up to 20 years in jail under Thailand’s Narcotics Act, but after a court hearing in July was deported back to the UK after being ordered to pay a fine of 50,000 baht (£1,137).

Jamie Swain from Stevenage landed at Phuket International Airport in May last year but was pulled aside when an immigration officer noticed a small plastic bag with white powder while flicking through his passport 

Pictured: The bag found by Thai immigration in Jamie’s passport at Phuket airport

Speaking to MailOnline, his mother has detailed the traumatic incident, alleging that it was a ‘set up’.

Ms Swain said: ‘He went there with his brother, got through Heathrow, Dubai, and got to Thailand.

‘His brother got through with his passport and then Jamie gave his passport and they said a bag fell out his passport.

‘People say it’s because I’m his mum I don’t believe it, but to get through two airports and the fact it’s happened to other people, I just feel that it was a set up.

‘I can’t help that, I know I’m his mum, and I’m not silly I know they’re all doing this and it all goes on, I’m not naive I’ve got three boys.

‘But I just feel like to get through two airports and then suddenly this bag appears, and he’d had his passport out all that time, I just find it very strange.

‘It was less than a gram, it was ridiculous, but it was enough, as our solicitor said, to get money out of you.

‘As I say, I still think [it was set up], I can’t help it, because if that’s the case then obviously Heathrow and Dubai airports are not doing their job.

‘You get comments saying “oh how stupid”, but no, because it wasn’t in there. It must have been put in there.

Pictured: Jamie Swain points to the bag after being arrested by Thai authorities at Phuket Airport last year

Pictured: A scan of Jamie’s luggage after he was taken into custody by Thai immigration

‘I think this happens more than we know.

‘He’s not the only person it’s happened to, I know three people at least where it’s been exactly what happened to Jamie. It’s just too much of a coincidence.’

Ms Swain told of how when she had been reached out to by people who had reported ‘exactly’ the same phenomenon of close to empty packets of cocaine being ‘found’ in their passports.

She said her son was then held in a ‘holding cell’ for around two days before being let out on bail.

She had flown out to Phuket on the same night he had been detained, and says the ‘awful’ experience had her worried he would be jailed in a foreign jail.

The mother-of-three said: ‘I flew out that night, straight away.

‘He was taken to the police station and then he was put in a prison cell. He said it was not in a big prison, because he said he could see the sea from it.

‘He was handcuffed in there with a Russian bloke, just them two.

‘He said there was no water, no food, nothing. ‘He was in there about two days then he got bail.

‘It wasn’t a high bail amount. He then had to stay there [in Phuket] for three months at least, they wouldn’t let him go.

‘He had a court date at the end of July and he got fined. He got fined and deported, but they couldn’t deport him from there, so he had to go to Bangkok.

Pictured: Thai authorities tested the powder and it came back positive for cocaine

‘So he had to get a flight from Phuket to Bangkok, and he was put in Bangkok prison for a couple of days.

‘It wasn’t very nice in there from what he said. It wasn’t good. He said everyone in the prison were more interested in his story as a westerner, and they said to him “you’re not going to get out of here”. They said they had been there for years.

‘He had a square mat and that’s where he sort of stayed. I don’t know how many were in [the cell], but he said there were separate cells like Somalians and different religions, and they said “if you misbehave you go in there, and you don’t want to go in there”.

‘There were fights in there.

‘But he managed to get through it. He flew back at the beginning of August.’

While initial reports said the 29-year-old could be facing up to 20 years behind bars, he was released on bail for the equivalent of £250, and his fine came up to just over £1,000.

The outcome came as a relief to Ms Swain, who said solicitors had initially warned the court could hand a sentence of six months to a year in jail.

Under Thailand’s Narcotics Act, importing cocaine into the country carries a maximum jail term of 20 years to life and a fine of £43,000 to 108,000 (2,000,000 – 5,000,000 Baht).

Cocaine possession is punishable with up to five years or a fine not exceeding £2,000 (100,000 Baht) or both.

Warning others, she said while the country and the people are ‘beautiful’ and ‘friendly’, travellers should be careful.

She said: ‘It was just meant to be a nice holiday. It could happen to any young boys going out there. There’s nothing you can do, you can be careful, but if that happens there’s nothing you can do about it.

‘When I see similar stories now, I do feel for the family.

‘Until you’re in that situation, everyone comments “oh you do the crime you do the time” but when you’re in that situation it’s awful.

‘It’s worrying, especially in another country, you don’t speak Thai.

‘Luckily our solicitor spoke English. Otherwise I don’t know what we would have done.

‘I don’t know what you do if you have no money or have no one out there.

‘It is frightening for the youngsters, it’s happening all the time out there.

‘It was just an awful experience, I wouldn’t want to put anyone ever through that. I would never wish it on anyone.

‘The worry alone was terrible.

‘It’s a shame he had to go through that really, it can ruin people’s lives. I don’t think they see the damage it can do to young boys’ lives.’

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