A British tourist was arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle a staggering 364lbs (165kg) of cannabis out of Thailand.

Darryl Poole, 30, from Camden, north London, was detained on March 17 at an airport on the island of Koh Samui amid a police crackdown on international cannabis smuggling from the region.

Hit series The White Lotus was recently filmed on the Bohemian tropical island, where cannabis farms have sprung up there since its legalization three years ago.

Authorities launched the operation after 10 Brits, one Malaysian, one Dutch, and one Romanian, were caught at the Samui International Airport earlier this month reportedly attempting to carry cannabis to the United Kingdom.

However, two 'suspicious' bags from the illegal haul were left behind.

Officials expanded the investigation and identified British tourist, Mohammed Azeem Ahmed, 26, as one of the luggage owners on March 14. He was reported to have already fled Thailand on a flight to Hong Kong, but was last seen departing a hotel with Darryl.

Security footage allegedly revealed Darryl had handed the bag to Mohammed. Police traced his whereabouts to The Stay Chaweng Beach Resort, where staff confirmed he had stored around 12 large suitcases.

Authorities arrested Darryl on Koh Samui while intercepting a vehicle he had hired to transport the suitcases to Bangkok. They found the luggage were filled with plastic packs of cannabis.

Police believe the suspect, spooked by increased security at Koh Samui's airport, had decided to ship the drugs to Bangkok first before trying to smuggle them out of the country.

Police Lieutenant General Panumas Boonyalak, commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, said: ‘We found that Poole managed the cannabis and hired Ahmed to export it out of the country illegally.

‘We charged him with possessing controlled herbs (cannabis) for selling or trading without permission and apprehended him at Koh Samui Police Station for legal action. Currently, relevant officers are coordinating to intercept the cannabis smuggling network heavily to prevent them from getting out of the country. We are also investigating the employer and relevant individuals in the country.'

Police have been tightening security at Thai airports amid a spate of cannabis smuggling attempts in recent weeks. With marijuana legal - and widely available - many addicts have attempted to stock up on the product before returning to their home countries.

Thai authorities said they were discussing tighter security measures to intercept cannabis smugglers, who can achieve large profits from the arbitrage with their homelands.

Cannabis with under 0.2 per cent of THC was decriminalised in Thailand in June 2022, as a potential cash crop for impoverished farmers and ministers connected to the pharmaceutical industry. Cannabis smoking is allowed for personal use in private areas but remains prohibited in public spaces.

However, bungling officials are now seeking to outlaw recreational cannabis, blaming poorly regulated use for allegedly fuelling drug abuse and a rise in the the number of cases of tourists over-indulging in the drug.

Tourist destinations such as Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya have seen the negative consequences of legalising the drug, with tourists regularly arrested for misbehaving while under the influence of cannabis.