Two Lebanese men were arrested for allegedly selling drugs and running an illegal Chinese clinic in Thailand.

Ehab Awala, 38, and Chadi Raidan, 28, were detained by police at the Buffalo Jungle restaurant on 'White Lotus' island Koh Samui.

Police raided the eatery on Friday, August 22, following intelligence it was being used as a front for illegal drug trafficking.

Undercover officers arranged a sting operation and successfully bought drugs from Chadi, who identified himself as the restaurant manager.

Chadi was arrested as police then converged on Ehab's room, where they found a haul of narcotics, including ecstasy, methamphetamine, ketamine, cocaine, magic mushrooms, and digital scales to portion the drugs.

A further sweep of the premises found acupuncture needles, cupping sets, and other equipment used in traditional Chinese medicine.

Police Colonel Naruewat Phutthawiro, superintendent of Surat Thani Immigration force, said: 'The suspects and the seized items were handed over to the inquiry officer at Bo Phut district station.

‘Investigations founds that Buffalo Jungle restaurant was registered as Buffalo Jungle Samui Co. Ltd., with three Thai shareholders alongside Awala.

‘However, we learned that the Thai shareholders were not involved in the restaurant's business operations, which was considered operating through nominees, using Thai nationals to hold shares on their behalf.

‘Surat Thani Immigration will investigate and gather evidence for further legal action.'

The pair are facing a raft of drug-related charges including possession of Category 1 (ecstasy and meth), Category 2 (ketamine and cocaine), and Category 5 (magic mushrooms) narcotics.

Ehab was given an additional charge for practicing Chinese medicine without a licence.

Koh Samui has seen a surge of tourism among US, British and European travellers following the success of The White Lotus's third season.

The Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui, which serves as the show's fictional setting, saw a tenfold increase in demand, its executive vice president Marc Speichert said. The spike in interest, called the 'White Lotus Effect', also boosted tourism in the previous filming locations of Hawaii and Sicily.

However, there is a dark underbelly to the island, which claimed the life of cricket star Shane Warne in Kamagra-fuelled romp with sex workers at a luxury villa in March 2022.

The tropical climate and secluded location has seen the island become a popular destination for growing cannabis legally. Dozens of Brits have been arrested while trying to smuggle the drug back to the United Kingdom.