The man, unnamed in the report by officers from ‘Phuket Immigration Checkpoint’ at Phuket airport, was arrested in the international arrivals hall at about 9:30pm on Monday (Nov 13).
The man was found with a small plastic bag containing 0.17 grammes of cocaine tucked into his passport, immigration officers reported.
The Australian was taken to Sakhu Police Station for further legal action. He faces charges of illegal possession of a Category 2 narcotic and “bringing a Category 2 narcotic (cocaine) into the Kingdom without permission”, said the report.
The official ‘Phuket Immigration Checkpoint’ Facebook page also shared a report by the Thai-language newspaper Matichon.
The report named the Australian as Mr Shoma Fati Koko, who arrived in Phuket on Jetstar Airlines Flight JQ 27 from Sydney.
After disembarking his flight, Mr Coco then presented himself at the immigration counter to request permission to enter the Kingdom, the report explained.
Mr Shoma Fati Koko handed over his Australian passport to Immigration officer Pol Sgt Shakrit Praekthong.
Pol Sgt Shakrit opened the passport and found a small clear plastic press-seal envelope containing what appeared to be a “suspicious white powder”.
Customs officers at the airport were then called in to test the powder, which was soon confirmed to be cocaine.
When questioned, Mr Shoma Fati Koko testified that the cocaine was not his and that he did not know how it came to be in his passport.
He had never taken any drugs, he said.