Irish man facing 50 years in Thai prison for 1kg Cannabis Sale to Police

Qiaonasen

I cannot post a link because I am a new user. But it is on the Irish times website.

Irish man basically has been caught selling 1kg of Cannabis to undercover police in Thailand and faces up to 50 years in jail. He is 23 years old.


Just saw this in the news. Have to say I have strange feelings about it. If he gets a full 50 years in jail at 23 he has completely wasted his life. Fair enough you might say. He commited the crime, he can do the time or whatever. Furthermore. Everybody knows the risk you run with drugs in Asian countries. Completely stupid on his behalf.

Although to be honest it is very harsh. I think these harsh penalties on drugs do absolutely nothing. They do nothing to discourage people. I am pretty sure the Ireland can do nothing in this case.

McDermotX

Don't do the crime, if you can't do the time.

Here endeth the lesson.

desbrook

Maybe "dad justice" is needed. Make him smoke the whole kilo in one go ??

pappyodaniel

Absolute idiot. It's common knowledge how strict Thailand is when it comes to illegal drugs.

Junkyard Tom

pappyodaniel wrote: »

Absolute idiot. It's common knowledge how strict Thailand is when it comes to illegal drugs.

If people were jailed for 50 years for being idiots most of us would be behind bars.

drunkmonkey

Hard to imagine Gary Glitter got safe passage and a free flight home and one of our own if going to get banged up for 50 years for trying to give some policemen the giggles...

MJI

I think cannabis should be 100% legal. Nobody should be jailed for, growing, selling, possessing or using. Anyone who is currently incarcerated for anything related to it should released.

Peregrinus

Glitter's offences were in Vietnam, not Thailand. Your account ("safe passage and a free flight home") omits the two year, nine month sentence he served before his deportation. When his deportation flight touched down in Thailand he tried to enter Thailand, but was refused.

As for the defendant in this case, I think 50 years is the theoretical maximum sentence he could get. (In fact, my impression is that 20 years is the max if the only drug involved is cannabis, but I could have that wrong.) It remains to be seen what he will get but it will be much less than the maximum - first offence, maybe an early guilty plea, etc. Plus, remission and commutation policies are generous compared to what we are used to, so the time he serves will be different again.

Yes, you have to feel a bit sorry for him. He is unbelievably stupid, but any time at all in prison is a harsh penalty for stupidity. On the other hand, a fairly high proportion of those in prison in Ireland are pretty stupid too.

Peregrinus

MJI wrote: »

I think cannabis should be 100% legal. Nobody should be jailed for, growing, selling, possessing or using. Anyone who is currently incarcerated for anything related to it should released.

You wouldn't be alone in thinking that. Nevertheless, there's a great gap between thinking that that's what the law ought to be, and behaving as if that's what the law actually was. That's where the "stupid" bit comes in.

_Brian

Stupidity is no excuse.
He consiously made the decision to break the law and so must face whatever is coming down the tracks.

I'd say harsh jail terms do indeed reduce wanna be traffickers. I'd imagine it would be much more out of control if it were a 6 month max sentenance.

Orizio

Everyone knows the risks of drug-dealing in Thailand.

MJI wrote: »

I think cannabis should be 100% legal. Nobody should be jailed for, growing, selling, possessing or using. Anyone who is currently incarcerated for anything related to it should released.

I think you are neither Thai nor part of the Thai government.

Orizio

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Hard to imagine Gary Glitter got safe passage and a free flight home and one of our own if going to get banged up for 50 years for trying to give some policemen the giggles...

Irish person in massive geography fail shocker. Vietnam and Thailand are two entirely different countries mate.

crybaby

I live in Thailand and if you are a foreigner over here selling drugs you are either thick beyond belief or a criminal looking for the next bit of money.

There is no sob story in here at all, I doubt very much that he will get anywhere close to 50 years, if he pays off the right people he could probably walk away from it completely.

R.D. aka MR.D

I don't think the discussion should be about whether or not drugs should be legalized in Thailand. It's about some guy who was breaking the laws of another country for no reason other than personal gain.

There's a great show called banged up abroad. I live in Asia and my OH and I watch them to laugh at all the lazy idiots who get themselves into trouble. The episode about a guy in South Korea is particularly ridiculous.

Almost every single time it's because they are lazy. There are other ways to make money that aren't illegal but for some reason they choose to go down that road because it's faster/easier.

voz es

Here is a little bit more from the Thai News:

http://www.chiangmaicitylife.com/news/irishman-arrested-for-pot-via-line-app/

I must admit I feel terrible for the Lad. I have read a book about the main prison in Bangkok they call it the 'Hilton'. There were two Australian lads in there what happened was horrid.

here is a book that one wrote:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/392438.The_Damage_Done
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Fellows

NachoBusiness

Might get an order from Camile tonight.

Lovely Bloke

Hard to feel sorry for an idiot like this, I mean the world and it's mother knows the harsh sentences for drug related crimes in SE Asia, to get involved in that world out there is beyond all reason.

He's lucky it's only prison time imo.

zl1whqvjs75cdy

The man broke the laws of another jurisdiction and will be punished accordingly. I don't get these people that get up on their high horses about the Irish flouting the law while abroad. The "Peru two" spring to mind, as does Ibrahim Halawah.

Duckworth_Luas

NachoBusiness wrote: »

Might get an order from Camile tonight.

Got a snackbox from Midnight Express in Drumcondra myself

machiavellianme

Pity the Irish justice system can't impose similar penalties and make them stick. I can't imagine too many people reoffend given the repercussions. Then again, if you're already locked up, there's very little opportunity to reoffend.

Stinicker

If he can get his hands on around a million baht then he can surely bribe his way out by getting off on some technicality, the main thing is not to make the thais lose face and get embarrassed. If the lad or his family makes arrangements then it may be possible. Thailand is notoriously corrupt.

nxbyveromdwjpg

_Brian wrote: »

Stupidity is no excuse.
I'd say harsh jail terms do indeed reduce wanna be traffickers. I'd imagine it would be much more out of control if it were a 6 month max sentenance.

I'm pretty sure no one doing it plans on getting caught, so the length of the sentence is going to be irrelevant at the point of doing the deed.

Is there any evidence out there that the introduction of mandatory minimum sentences ever worked as a deterrent after they were brought in? Do rates fall?
No they don't.

I mean this guy even did it in Thailand, we're hearing about it cos he's Irish but he's not alone. Drug use and drug crimes are rising despite executions and all sorts. Pointless endeavour all round.

The_Kew_Tour

Junkyard Tom wrote: »

If people were jailed for 50 years for being idiots most of us would be behind bars.

Not everybody is that stupid though.

They're stupid and then they're insane

Peregrinus

Giuliana Screeching Shoehorn wrote: »

I'm pretty sure no one doing it plans on getting caught, so the length of the sentence is going to be irrelevant at the point of doing the deed.

Is there any evidence out there that the introduction of mandatory minimum sentences ever worked as a deterrent after they were brought in? Do rates fall?
No they don't.

1. I don't think they have a mandatory minimum sentence for this offence in Thailand. What the newspapers are quoting is the maximum sentence.

2. Are mandatory minimum sentences effective? Hard to say. There are plenty of cases where they are introduced, and crime rates have risen, so they are certainly not effective in all circumstances. There are other cases where crime rates have fallen after introduction, but you can't necessarily conclude that this was because of the introduction of minimum sentences - lots of factors are known to affect crime rates.

I think there are two popular views among criminologists. One you have already pointed to - criminals don't plan on getting caught (they either don't plan at all, or they calculate that they will get away with the crime) and so their decisions aren't really affected by contemplating the possible sentence. The other is that minimum sentences are a massively, massively expensive policy to administer, and if you are prepared to devote that amount of money to reducing crime rates, there are usually more cost-effective ways to spend it. Putting money into improving policing, detection and conviction will normally yield better results, in terms of lower crime rates, than putting the same money into longer prison terms.

QuinDixie

America can be blamed for this BS, from the 80s on their war on drugs saw millions given to indonesia, thailand etc. to fight this war and of course to keep getting funds states have fallen over each other to show whose tougher on drugs.
whats laughable is the cops involved in stinging this irish man have probably sold these drugs on to other tourists themselves.

One eyed Jack

Qiaonasen wrote: »

Although to be honest it is very harsh. I think these harsh penalties on drugs do absolutely nothing. They do nothing to discourage people. I am pretty sure the Ireland can do nothing in this case.

They actually seem to work quite well as a deterrent to most people who would want to transport drugs, which is why rare cases like this one where a person is caught, make international headlines.

Perhaps if we introduced harsher sentences for crimes in this country, we wouldn't have the revolving door justice system we have now where we have young offenders with 20 odd convictions before their 18th birthday.

mathie

MJI wrote: »

I think cannabis should be 100% legal. Nobody should be jailed for, growing, selling, possessing or using. Anyone who is currently incarcerated for anything related to it should released.

I think theft/murder/using nutri-bullets should be 100% legal. Nobody should be jailed for, stealing, killing, possessing or using a nurti-bullet. Anyone who is currently incarcerated for anything related to it should released.

osarusan

One eyed Jack wrote: »

They actually seem to work quite well as a deterrent to most people who would want to transport drugs, which is why rare cases like this one where a person is caught, make international headlines.

Even if we accept that these headlines actually mean smugglers being caught is rare (which I don't see any reason to accept), that might just as easily mean that most smugglers go undetected as it might mean that they are being deterred from attempting to smuggle drugs.

Ash.J.Williams

He looks like a privileged type..he was observed selling hash on the street...what was he thinking? how low would you have to be to sell hash on dublin city streets??? They are usually bottom feeders

nxbyveromdwjpg

Do people about the subject in question before commenting on it here?

One eyed Jack wrote: »

They actually seem to work quite well as a deterrent to most people who would want to transport drugs, which is why rare cases like this one where a person is caught, make international headlines.

He bought and sold a kilo of cannabis in Thailand, so he didn't really transport anything (presuming you mean 'traffic').

It's not particularly rare at all and the only reason he's in the headlines is he's 23 and Irish, instead of a thai local.

Ash.J.Williams wrote: »

He looks like a privileged type..he was observed selling hash on the street...what was he thinking? how low would you have to be to sell hash on dublin city streets??? They are usually bottom feeders

According to the article linked a page back, they called him on some app which I take it is similar to whatsapp, called "Link", and set him up. He wasn't walking around with it at random.

Dublin city streets..?

Ash.J.Williams

Giuliana Screeching Shoehorn wrote: »

Do people about the subject in question before commenting on it here?



He bought and sold a kilo of cannabis in Thailand, so he didn't really transport anything (presuming you mean 'traffic').

It's not particularly rare at all and the only reason he's in the headlines is he's 23 and Irish, instead of a thai local.



According to the article linked a page back, they called him on some app which I take it is similar to whatsapp, called "Link", and set him up. He wasn't walking around with it at random.

Dublin city streets..?

yeah street dealers...

the article said he was observed selling hash on the street to tourists and locals and they tipped off the cops who then set him up

Little CuChulainn

MJI wrote: »

I think cannabis should be 100% legal. Nobody should be jailed for, growing, selling, possessing or using. Anyone who is currently incarcerated for anything related to it should released.

So if one guy shot another fella to settle a drug debt he owed then he should be released? Or if a dealer shot one of his people because the stuff they were holding was seized by Gardaí then he should be released? I think your idea is stupid. Sure, if someone is in jail for possession (pretty much nobody is at any given time) then release them into some program like in Portugal but dealers are all scum. Let them rot in prison.

biko

I feel sorry for the lad as it's not a joyride in their prisons, even though I assume there is a foreigner's wing in the prison.
But tbh he knew the risks and still went ahead...

All that said, if they'd only legalise cannabis they'd get more tourists and more income.

nxbyveromdwjpg

Little CuChulainn wrote: »

So if one guy shot another fella to settle a drug debt he owed then he should be released? Or if a dealer shot one of his people because the stuff they were holding was seized by Gardaí then he should be released? I think your idea is stupid. Sure, if someone is in jail for possession (pretty much nobody is at any given time) then release them into some program like in Portugal but dealers are all scum. Let them rot in prison.

Ridiculous reply. If someone shot a person they'll go to jail for having shot a person.

This is the kind of thing I presume the poster meant - http://news.streetroots.org/2015/03/28/coming-clean-oregon-considers-expunging-past-marijuana-convictions

Little CuChulainn

Giuliana Screeching Shoehorn wrote: »

Ridiculous reply. If someone shot a person they'll go to jail for having shot a person.

This is the kind of thing I presume the poster meant - http://news.streetroots.org/2015/03/28/coming-clean-oregon-considers-expunging-past-marijuana-convictions

He said anything related to growing, selling, possessing or using. He should have thought his comment through a bit more.

nxbyveromdwjpg

Little CuChulainn wrote: »

He said anything related to growing, selling, possessing or using. He should have thought his comment through a bit more.

It's obvious what he meant in fairness, and I mean how can anyone use or possess anyway, if someone hasn't first grown it and/or given it to them?

Violent gangland style activity would be a separate matter if the laws were changed and no one anywhere, ever, has suggested decriminalising anything like that.

FutureGuy

I have zero tolerance for idiots. Tough.

bucketybuck

You need to be a right cretin to go and sell drugs in one of these Asian countries, for gods sake these places are notorious for being extremely harsh on drug offences and yet idiots like this still think they will give it a go, the stupidity beggars belief.

I've no sympathy for him at all, just another moron who knowingly stuck his head into a lions mouth. He can rot there for all I care.

asherbassad

McDermotX wrote: »

Don't do the crime, if you can't do the time.

Here endeth the lesson.

Thanks for the cliche.

FutureGuy

asherbassad wrote: »

Thanks for the cliche.

His comment was useful. Yours was the opposite.

One eyed Jack

osarusan wrote: »

Even if we accept that these headlines actually mean smugglers being caught is rare (which I don't see any reason to accept), that might just as easily mean that most smugglers go undetected as it might mean that they are being deterred from attempting to smuggle drugs.

Well no, smugglers being caught probably isn't rare, but tourists receiving harsh sentences for drug smuggling appears to be rare, which is why I suggested that these harsh sentences act as a deterrent to any tourist who might think of smuggling drugs in Thailand. I'm sure they're more than aware of the possible consequences.

Of course it could mean too that many tourists smuggle drugs undetected, but if they're willing to risk that opportunity, then it's only appropriate IMO that they be sentenced in accordance with Thai laws on drug smuggling.

What I've always found perplexing though, is that the will is there to enforce harsh sentences upon tourists for drug smuggling offences, yet the same will to impose harsh sentences upon tourists engaging in the child sex trade in Thailand just doesn't seem to be there. I think if the same deterrent was there for child sex offences as there is for drug smuggling, Thailand would experience a significant drop in it's tourism industry.

I feel even less sympathy for him than the ones on Banged Up Abroad who usually just get sucked up in a whirlwind of bad decisions..

This plonker.. What they hell was he at selling to Thai people? Sell to foreigners at least to minimise the risk. Proper retarded.

sonny.knowles

Drug dealer breaks law, faces prison. Non story.

AndyBoBandy

at least the Thai authorities valuation of the pot is the same as what he had planned to sell it for,

if it were Ireland, the value for the kilo would probably be €1,350,000

mooseknunkle

Deleted User wrote: »

I feel even less sympathy for him than the ones on Banged Up Abroad who usually just get sucked up in a whirlwind of bad decisions..

This plonker.. What they hell was he at selling to Thai people? Sell to foreigners at least to minimise the risk. Proper retarded.

From this video it looks like an American he is talking to,so quite possibly he was selling to the American who was working for the Thai cops,there is a lot of foreigners working for the Thai police for 'stings' like this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXARep0VOHI

ohnonotgmail

biko wrote: »

I feel sorry for the lad as it's not a joyride in their prisons, even though I assume there is a foreigner's wing in the prison.
But tbh he knew the risks and still went ahead...

All that said, if they'd only legalise cannabis they'd get more tourists and more income.

not unless he has a lot of money to bribe the prison guards.

osarusan

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

at least the Thai authorities valuation of the pot is the same as what he had planned to sell it for,

if it were Ireland, the value for the kilo would probably be €1,350,000

Sergeant Gerry Boyle: ' You lads always announce seizure of drugs worth a street value at $10 million or $20 million or half a billion dollars. I wonder what street it is you're buying your cocaine on, because it's not the same street as I'm buying my cocaine on.'

asherbassad

One eyed Jack wrote: »

They actually seem to work quite well as a deterrent to most people who would want to transport drugs, which is why rare cases like this one where a person is caught, make international headlines.

Perhaps if we introduced harsher sentences for crimes in this country, we wouldn't have the revolving door justice system we have now where we have young offenders with 20 odd convictions before their 18th birthday.

If these sentences work so well then how come drugs are so readily available in Thailand? What is the purpose of the sentence exactly? Is it supposed to have any impact on the availability of drugs?

One eyed Jack

Giuliana Screeching Shoehorn wrote: »

Do people about the subject in question before commenting on it here?

I can't speak for anyone else, but I certainly do. Do you?

He bought and sold a kilo of cannabis in Thailand, so he didn't really transport anything (presuming you mean 'traffic').

Had you read what I wrote, you wouldn't have to presume anything. He actually did transport something, a kilo of cannabis, and he was caught trying to sell it. I would have said traffic if I thought he was trying to get it out of the country like those two Irish idiots abroad that got caught trying to smuggle drugs out of Peru in spite of knowing the possible consequences then too.

It's not particularly rare at all and the only reason he's in the headlines is he's 23 and Irish, instead of a thai local.

It's particularly rare for tourists to be caught smuggling drugs in countries like Thailand as most people are aware of the penalties if they are caught. It wouldn't matter if he was 46 and British (I think there was a case recently of a middle-aged British man in the news having been caught for smuggling in Thailand), and the reason he made the headlines is because his relatives or someone else wanted to highlight his case in the media to appeal to the Thai authorities for leniency.

Perhaps if he dons a bra in prison, Colin Firth might come to his rescue*




*Bridget Jones reference

Ash.J.Williams

FutureGuy wrote: »

I have zero tolerance for idiots. Tough.

must be hard living in Ireland then!

asherbassad

Little CuChulainn wrote: »

So if one guy shot another fella to settle a drug debt he owed then he should be released? Or if a dealer shot one of his people because the stuff they were holding was seized by Gardaí then he should be released? I think your idea is stupid. Sure, if someone is in jail for possession (pretty much nobody is at any given time) then release them into some program like in Portugal but dealers are all scum. Let them rot in prison.

That's really reaching the levels of the absurd. Don't be ridiculous. Of course he's not advocating the pardoning of killers just because the murder was drug-related. He's not saying that.

Alcohol is legal. It's legal to buy it, sell it, drink it, make it, transport it, etc. and so it should be but nobody's saying that if you strangle your girlfriend because she drank your last beer or if you get plastered and then shoot up a pub because they refused to serve you then you should not be charged because it's booze related.