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Selling drugs in Phuket: Foreigners use QR codes for business!
Drug smuggling in Phuket and cybercrime: New methods, QR codes and cryptocurrencies in use, authorities demand action.
Selling drugs in Phuket: Foreigners use QR codes for business!
A worrying development in drug trafficking is causing a stir in Phuket. The MP นายเฉลิมพงศ์ แสงดี recently posted a video on Facebook denouncing the increasing sales practices of foreign drug traffickers. These sell drugs via QR codes placed in strategic locations such as electricity pylons and public places. Patong Beach and Soi Bangla in particular appear to be hotspots for this new form of drug trafficking.
By scanning the QR codes, buyers can conveniently purchase drugs such as cocaine and heroin, with payment made in cryptocurrency. In addition to the digital currency, unofficial delivery with location information is also offered to buyers. This platform poses a serious challenge to maintaining public safety and could further exacerbate the already critical situation in Phuket.
Demand for action
The MP has called on the authorities to take strong steps to put an end to these illegal activities. The current drug trade in Phuket has reached proportions that urgently require a comprehensive fight. It seems that foreign traders are trying to circumvent controls by local authorities by using modern technology.
Investigations and raids
But that's not all: significant investigations into drug trafficking are taking place around the world. In March 2025, cybercrime specialists and investigators from North Rhine-Westphalia around ten million euros in cryptocurrencies secure those who were connected to drug sales on the Darknet. The suspect, a 36-year-old drug dealer from Haan, is now in custody. The number of drugs sold on the dark web was shocking: in at least 6,000 cases, various substances, including cocaine and amphetamine, were sold.
The investigation in Thailand has also taken on elements aimed at a comprehensive fight against drug trafficking. A major blow to drug trafficking was led by the Office of Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) in November 2024, arresting three suspects and seizing assets worth 101 million baht. These measures are part of a broader campaign aimed at combating Thailand's emerging drug-related crime.
Drug trafficking not only represents a social problem, but also has serious economic and security consequences for the region. In view of these developments, the demand for faster and more effective measures from the authorities is becoming ever louder. Phuket is at a critical turning point: measures are needed to set the course for a secure future.