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Briton arrested in Bangkok with 9,520 extacy tablets

Alan John Kiernan, who arrived in Thailand from Switzerland on Friday and made it through customs with the ecstasy haul -- worth 5 million baht - hidden in special panels sewn into his sweat pants is now arrested. "Shit happens".


Bare-chest costs Briton Thai drugs bust -"Shit happens!" Drugs mule sampled his own wares

BANGKOK - A 35-year-old Briton smuggled 9,520 ecstasy tablets past eight customs officials in Thailand before being stopped on the street the next day and arrested for not wearing a shirt.

"Shit happens," said Alan John Kiernan, who arrived in Thailand from Switzerland on Friday and made it through customs with the ecstasy haul -- worth 5 million baht -- hidden in special panels sewn into his sweat pants.

If found guilty, he could face the death penalty.

Police said Kiernan, whose travel documents said he came from Southampton, had told them he wanted to sell the pills to foreigners in Bangkok.

"The pills were found wrapped neatly in a plastic bag and hidden in his sweat pants. They were specially made with several layers," one police officer said.

Paraded in handcuffs before television cameras at a police news conference, Kiernan confessed to smuggling the tablets but said he had only been caught because he was walking around a park topless while trying to phone his local contact.

"They didn't catch me at the airport," he told Reuters Television. "I got through eight customs without being stopped once.

"This morning that copper over there arrested me for not having a shirt on. The next thing you know, he's pulled out these ecstasy tablets," he said, pointing to his trousers.

He added he had taken a few pills himself and appeared to accept his fate relatively calmly. His only regret was not being able to see a bit more of the sprawling Thai capital, he said.

"I can't even get out to have a look around," he complained.

He confessed that he was paid £ 3,800 to smuggle the illegal drug into Thailand and deliver it to a local dealer, said police Lieutenant General Thani Somboonsap.

When the dealer failed to keep an appointment at Kiernan's room, the suspect got nervous, and several hours later took some of the pills and went outside for a walk, Thani said.

A bystander noticed Kiernan behaving oddly and called police, who stopped and searched him. They found 9,520 ecstasy pills concealed inside his trousers, Thani said.

"When we got there, he was apparently high and didn't know what he was doing," he said.

Kiernan is being held pending formal charges. If tried and found guilty, he could face the death penalty. Kiernan's home town was not immediately available.

A British teenager, Michael Connell, was caught trying to bring 3,400 ecstasy tablets into Thailand in November. Connell, 19, who also faces the death penalty, pleaded not guilty in court on Monday.

Ironically, Thailand is considered to be one of the biggest sources of ecstasy tablets available in Western Europe.

Source: Reuters and agencies
Briton detained for carrying ecstasy
Published on Jan 31, 2004

A British man was arrested with "ecstasy" pills worth Bt10 million on his person, police said yesterday.

Alan John Kiernan, 34, was found drunk and boisterous in Soi Maw Leng, Makkasan, Ratchathewee.

Police said they had been suspicious of Kiernan because he was wearing a blue-collared T-shirt and fancy black jeans.

When police searched Kiernan, they found one plastic cylinder containing 560 ecstasy tablets in the left pocket of his shorts and a total of 17 packages, each containing 560 ecstasy tablets, concealed around his waist, said duty officer Captain Panlop Samransom of Din Daen police station.

Kiernan was carrying a total of over 20,000 tablets, about half of which were damaged in the course of his arrest, Superintendent Colonel Thaksin Puangngoen said later.

Questioned at the police station, Kiernan said he had been acting as courier for a man called Mark, who had handed him the pills in Amsterdam.

Kiernan had then flown via Belgium and Switzerland and entered Thailand on Thursday. He was paid ?5,000 (Bt355,000) for carrying the drugs.

He said he had not been able to contact the person Mark had told him to phone and so had gone for a drink.

He was charged with possession of narcotics under schedule 1 of the narcotics law with intent to sell. The ecstasy had a street value of Bt10 million, police said, as it sells for Bt500 a tablet.

Police said they doubted the existence of Mark or the alleged contacts in Thailand.

Kiernan, who was not known to anti-narcotics authorities, may be a tourist and a newcomer to the drug trade, the superintendent added.

FACING DEATH SENTENCE IN THAILAND

From the archive, first published Saturday 31st Jan 2004.

A HAMPSHIRE man could face the death penalty in Thailand after he was arrested for smuggling 9,000 Ecstasy tablets worth £70,000 into the country.

Alan Kiernan was suspected of being high on his own supply when police arrested him in the street for not wearing a shirt the day after arriving on a flight from Switzerland.

Officers say they found the drugs hidden in special panels sewn into his tracksuit trousers.

Kiernan, 35, who has yet to be charged, was visited in jail yesterday by British consulate officials.

After hearing of his son's arrest, Kiernan's father Leo, of Holbury, said he was "devastated".

The retired oil worker, who has not seen his son for 12 years, said his son is a well-liked, keen athlete and once had Olympic ambitions for long distance running.

Mr Kiernan, 56, said: "I have just heard the news - it is terrible. It has come like a bolt from the blue. We did not have a falling out but he went abroad and did not really keep in contact.

"The last time I spoke to him was on the phone about eight years ago and he was in Spain or Portugal. He said he was selling timeshares.

"I can only think that he got involved with something like this and was too ashamed to keep in touch with his family.

"There is no one more against drugs than me, so I don't know how he got into them.

"My message to Alan now is `I love you with all my heart' but I'm sure he knows that already. I hope that the Thai authorities are not too hard on him.

"I know drug smuggling is a very serious offence but I do not agree with the death penalty."

Mr Kiernan said his son had left Applemore College in Dibden Purlieu with no qualifications and worked at a local recreation centre as a lifeguard before moving abroad.

Kiernan was paraded in handcuffs before Thai television cameras at a police news conference yesterday where he confessed to smuggling the tablets.

He said: "I got through eight customs without being stopped once.

"That copper over there arrested me for not having a shirt on. The next thing you know, he's pulled out these Ecstasy tablets," he said, pointing to his trousers.

His only regret was not being able to see a bit more of the sprawling Thai capital, he said."I can't even get out to have a look around," he complained.

Thai Police said Kiernan, told them he wanted to sell the pills to foreigners in Bangkok.

"The pills were found wrapped neatly in a plastic bag and hidden in his sweat pants. They were specially made with several layers," one police officer said.

Thailand is considered to be one of the biggest sources of Ecstasy tablets available in western Europe.

British teenager, Michael Connell, was caught trying to bring 3,400 Ecstasy tablets into Thailand in November. Connell, 19, who also faces the death penalty, pleaded not guilty on Monday.

Archive Home

From the archive
https://www.thisishampshire.net
© Newsquest Media Group 2004
Briton arrested on drug charges in Thailand


BANGKOK - A 35-year-old Briton has been arrested on charges of trying to smuggle 9,000 ecstasy tablets with an estimated street value of 5 million baht (70,400 pounds) into Thailand, police say.


"The pills were found wrapped neatly in a plastic bag and hidden in his sweat pants. They were specially made with several layers," one police officer said.

Police said Kiernan had told them he wanted to sell the pills to foreign clients in Bangkok.


Now here is the second post that was given>>>>>>>>>>

Follow up:
"Shit happens"
Bare-chest costs Briton Thai drugs bust

BANGKOK (Reuters) - A 35-year-old Briton smuggled 9,000 ecstasy tablets past eight customs officials in Thailand before being stopped on the street the next day and arrested for not wearing a shirt.

"Shit happens," said Alan John Kiernan, who arrived in Thailand from Switzerland on Friday and made it through customs with the ecstasy haul -- worth 5 million baht (88,000 pounds) -- hidden in special panels sewn into his sweat pants.

Police said Kiernan, whose travel documents said he came from Southampton, had told them he wanted to sell the pills to foreigners in Bangkok.

Paraded in handcuffs before television cameras at a police news conference, Kiernan confessed to smuggling the tablets but said he had only been caught because he was walking around a park topless while trying to phone his local contact.

"This morning that copper over there arrested me for not having a shirt on. The next thing you know, he's pulled out these ecstasy tablets," he said, pointing to his trousers.

He added he had taken a few pills himself and appeared to accept his fate relatively calmly. His only regret was not being able to see a bit more of the sprawling Thai capital, he said.

Now here is the third post given coming from george>>>>>>>

Alan John Kiernan, 34, was found drunk and boisterous in Soi Maw Leng, Makkasan, Ratchathewee.

Police said they had been suspicious of Kiernan because he was wearing a blue-collared T-shirt and fancy black jeans.

When police searched Kiernan, they found one plastic cylinder containing 560 ecstasy tablets in the left pocket of his shorts and a total of 17 packages, each containing 560 ecstasy tablets, concealed around his waist, said duty officer Captain Panlop Samransom of Din Daen police station.

Kiernan was carrying a total of over 20,000 tablets, about half of which were damaged in the course of his arrest, Superintendent Colonel Thaksin Puangngoen said later.

Questioned at the police station, Kiernan said he had been acting as courier for a man called Mark, who had handed him the pills in Amsterdam.

Kiernan had then flown via Belgium and Switzerland and entered Thailand on Thursday. He was paid ?5,000 (Bt355,000) for carrying the drugs.

He said he had not been able to contact the person Mark had told him to phone and so had gone for a drink.

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