World5 min(s) read
Published 13:28 21 Jul 2026 GMT
An 18-year-old could spend years in a Thai prison after allegedly taking a $100 watch from an airport security tray.
Loukas Rainger, from Tauranga, New Zealand, had spent a month travelling through Thailand with a friend and was preparing to fly home via Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok on July 16 when Thai immigration officers stopped him before his flight.
According to his mother, Natasha Rainger, officials informed her son that "there was a warrant out for his arrest," per NZ Herald.
Speaking to Stuff, the mom said her son had picked up the watch around two weeks earlier while passing through security at Surat Thani Airport.
Loukas later told her he was left "completely confused" by the arrest and insisted he had no idea he had committed an offence.
According to Natasha, her son explained that the watch had been sitting in the same airport security tray as his belongings.
"That watch…he told me it was on the airport tray with his belongings… so he just picked it up too," she said.
Court documents obtained by the outlet reportedly state that the watch was a "Swatch women's wristwatch with a silver coloured steel band," believed to be worth between $80 and $100 on eBay.
Legal documents allege a woman travelling through Surat Thani Airport on July 3 removed her watch during security screening before accidentally leaving it behind in the inspection tray.
The case summary states: "At approximately 8.58am it was discovered that a foreign male identified as Loukas Rainger had taken the watch with him."
After the woman reported the missing watch, police gathered evidence before obtaining an arrest warrant on July 10.
Because the allegation involves an airport, Loukas has been charged with "theft at an airport," which his lawyer says is treated far more seriously than an ordinary theft offence.
"It is more serious than theft because it happened at an airport," said Werabhat Hemthansarp, managing partner of Phuket-based Lawyer Republic, who is representing the teenager.
Per legal documents, the charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, along with a fine ranging from 20,000 to 100,000 Thai baht.
Natasha said police retrieved Loukas' checked baggage before it reached the aircraft and held him overnight in a Bangkok police station. She said he was then transported back to Surat Thani by train.
"The next day he spent 12 hours handcuffed to a chair while being taken on a train from Bangkok back down to Surat Thani, where he was taken to a police station and only then interviewed," she told Stuff.
Legal documents reportedly state that Loukas denied the charges during questioning.
His initial bail application was rejected because he did not have the appropriate visa.
To qualify for bail, the court required proof of accommodation in Thailand for three months while the case progresses.
Natasha, who is already in Bangkok after undergoing surgery, said her own visa is due to expire in mid-August.
"I haven't rested or slept since this happened… I'm exhausted, I'm on auto-mode," she said.
Her husband, Mark Rainger, has remained in New Zealand to care for Loukas' younger brother.
Hemthansarp said he had begun the process of changing Loukas' visa so he could remain legally in Thailand while awaiting the outcome of the case.
He also confirmed he was arranging compensation for the owner of the watch.
"I have been told the watch was around $80 -$100 on Ebay, and the watch has been returned to her, and she has also received an apology from Loukas in prison," Hemthansarp said. "I have been told that she accepts the apology and will accept $1000 in compensation, which I said I would pay."
Natasha also said her son had apologized to the woman from prison and that "she accepted the apology and will accept the $1000".
She maintained that Loukas had never intended to steal the watch.
"He didn't maliciously steal it or intend to steal someone's belongings, he didn't think, he's inexperienced, young," she said. "He'd been on a long boat trip just right before, and had been really sick. He should have left it or handed it in but that doesn't deserve years in a Thai prison."
The family said the situation has left them "completely overwhelmed and in disbelief".
"I'm honestly [at the point where I] would give my life to get him out of there," the mom added.
Loukas, who recently finished school and had planned to begin an electrical apprenticeship after his overseas trip, has since been released on bail after his family paid 100,000 Thai baht.
However, she said the legal battle is far from over. "The only thing that matters right now is seeing my son walk through the gates ... we'll take it from there."
Until the case is resolved, Natasha and Loukas must remain on Ko Samui and report to the local police station every two weeks.
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Published 16:04 04 Jan 2024 GMT
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uk news3 min(s) read
Published 09:57 26 May 2025 GMT
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Published 13:01 16 Jan 2018 GMT
Published 15:18 28 Jun 2025 GMT
A six-year-old British child has reportedly been arrested at an airport alongside a group of adults after 30lbs of drugs was allegedly found in their suitcase.
The child was one of eight arrested after landing at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Airport in Plaine Magnien in Mauritius on Sunday, June 22, as customs officers discovered a staggering 161 kilograms (355 lbs) of cannabis concealed throughout several suitcases.
An eye-watering 14 kilograms (30 lbs) alone were hidden in the young boy’s bag, while another 17 kilograms (37 lbs) were found in luggage belonging to another traveler.
The discovery was made as part of a joint operation between the Customs Anti-Narcotics Section (CANS) and the Anti-Drug & Smuggling Unit (ADSU) at the airport, with stunned customs officers also uncovering eleven numbered Apple AirTags among the baggage, suggesting links to an organized crime gang smuggling drugs from Europe into Mauritius.
Authorities described the use of the child as a drug mule as “inhumane,” according to The Sun.
The boy has since returned to the UK after his father flew to Mauritius to collect him on Wednesday, June 25.
The six arrested British adults, all from Cambridgeshire, have been named as Laura Kappen, 28, a bar worker from Orton Goldhay; Shannon Holness, 29, a caterer from Bretton; Shona Campbell, 33, a cleaner from Standground; Lily Watson, a caterer from Peterborough; and Patrick Wilsdon, 21, a window fitter from Peterborough.
Also arrested was 38-year-old Romanian national Florian Lisman, a machine operator living in Huntingdon.
On Monday, June 23, just a day after arriving from London Gatwick, the seven adults appeared in court in Mahébourg and remain in custody as investigations continue.
Shocked relatives in the UK have spoken out, expressing disbelief at the arrests. Carly Wilsdon, mother of suspect Patrick Wilsdon, told The Sun that her son was “vulnerable” and had only traveled abroad once before, suggesting he may have been lured by the promise of a “free holiday” to Mauritius.
“He wouldn't have known what he was doing because he wouldn't get involved in drugs,” she said. “The person who told them about this free holiday is one of his circle of friends but now he has disappeared.”
Experts have previously warned that British citizens are often lured into acting as drug mules under the “lucrative offer” of a free holiday abroad in exchange for smuggling drugs or “mysterious packages” across borders, leading to a string of high-profile arrests overseas.
The case in Mauritius comes shortly after several similar incidents involving British nationals. In May, former air stewardess Charlotte May Lee, 21, was arrested in Sri Lanka after £1.15 million worth of cannabis was allegedly found in her luggage, per the Daily Mail.
Teenager Bella May Culley, 18, was detained in Georgia for allegedly smuggling cannabis after disappearing in Thailand. She faces up to 20 years in prison if found guilty.
A Foreign Office spokesperson has confirmed: “We are supporting several British nationals who are detained in Mauritius and are in contact with the local authorities.”
A 10-year-old boy was forced to remove his shirt after airport officials determined its print could make other passengers feel anxious.
As reported by The Mirror, Stevie Lucas was traveling back to New Zealand with his family after visiting his grandparents in Pretoria, South Africa, in 2019.
While boarding a flight at O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, Stevie was reportedly notified by airport staff that he could not wear his T-shirt - which was a black shirt with a large, realistic print of a green and blue snake - on the plane.
Security informed the boy's parents, Steve and Marga, about the rules and regulations on snake toys and clothing, and stated that the snake T-shirt could cause anxiety and make other passengers uncomfortable.
To avoid confrontation, the parents instructed their son to flip his shirt inside out so that the pattern would be hidden. He was then allowed to board the plane without any further issues.
Following the incident, the airport defended its decision, claiming the move was solely meant to protect other travelers.
"Security officers have the right to determine if an object has the potential to harm fellow passengers and crew members by causing certain objects or prints to be anxious," an airport representative said, according to Daily Mail.
Steve and Marga revealed that despite the T-shirt ordeal, their son remained in good spirits throughout the flight, and even "proposed a toast" to their South African adventure upon their return from vacation.
According to his father, Stevie is an enthusiastic reptile fan and has often visited pet stores with family members back home. He apparently has an interest in snakes, spiders, and bugs and even went hunting during his trip to South Africa.
While the boy obeyed the rules and seemed to enjoy his flight, his parents were still shocked by the ordeal and have since contacted the Airports Company of South Africa to get a "more extensive reason" for the airport's restrictions on the clothing rule.
"Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Note that we asked for a more extensive reason for the clothing rules and restrictions. We will give you feedback as soon as we receive it," the email read.
It is unclear if the family received a response regarding this matter.
Published 16:07 24 Sep 2024 GMT
A woman was immediately detained and arrested after airport security noticed something very odd with an X-ray.
Now, I get nervous going through airport security with a tiny 100ml bottle of shampoo. So I could only imagine this particular traveler had butterflies in her stomach when she was passing security...
...only, it wasn't butterflies in her stomach at all. It was something far more dangerous.
This wild incident took place at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa, when a 30-year-old woman arrived on a flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Per Sky News, South African police had received a tip-off that someone on the flight from Brazil was carrying drugs — and they weren’t wrong.
Turns out, the woman was a drug mule who had swallowed 68 “bullets” of cocaine. Yes, you read that right—swallowed them. When she went through security, an X-ray of her stomach showed the whole thing, revealing several foreign objects inside her body.
Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, the national police spokesperson, described how things unfolded.
“The team immediately intercepted the drug mule as she was making her way through immigration. She was immediately arrested, taken to a local hospital where a medical X-ray confirmed and detected foreign objects in her stomach." She added, “She has already released more than 60 bullets of suspected cocaine thus far.”
Under police guard, the woman began the process of “releasing” the drugs—yeah, definitely not the most glamorous part of the job.
In total, she expelled 68 bullets, which police weighed in at about 850 grams. That’s a lot to carry around in your stomach.
Though the exact value of the drugs is still being determined, police are confident this arrest is part of a bigger operation.
The woman is the 10th drug mule to be busted at this South African airport in the last two months alone.
She is due to appear in court on September 25 after being charged with drug dealing and drug possession.
And it sounds like the South African police aren’t messing around. General Fannie Masemola, national commissioner of the South African Police Service, praised the operation and warned criminals not to think they can get away with these stunts. “South Africa is not a playground for criminals and transnational organized crime,” he said. “We are squeezing the space for criminals and leaving nothing to chance.”
In case you were wondering, the process of “releasing” those drugs is exactly as uncomfortable as it sounds.
A former flight attendant could be facing decades behind bars after being arrested in Sri Lanka on suspicion of smuggling a deadly new drug allegedly made from human bones.
Charlotte May Lee, 21, from South London, UK, is accused of trying to smuggle in 101lb (46kg) of the synthetic drug kush in her suitcase.
Lee, who is being held in a prison north of the capital, Colombo, has denied knowledge of the drugs and claims they were planted in her luggage. Her lawyer, Sampath Perera, told the BBC that she is in contact with her family and could face up to 25 years in prison if convicted.
Customs officers shared photos with the haul of bags, which is said to be the largest kush seizure in Colombo's Bandaranaike Airport's history, according to Sri Lanka Customs Narcotics Control Unit and has a reported street value of $3.3million.
Kush is a new drug originating in West Africa and contributes to the deaths of an estimated dozen people a week in Sierra Leone alone, according to the New York Post.
The outlet states that one of the many ingredients within the synthetic drug is reportedly human bones, with the manufacture even allegedly leading to grave robbers targeting cemeteries in Sierra Leone.
The drug is said to be most popular with young men and can cause them to collapse unexpectedly or fall asleep while walking, leading some to wander into moving traffic, according to The Conversation.
The inclusion of human bones in the drug remains unknown, with some suggesting that the sulphur content of the bones causes a high, per the outlet.
The president of Sierra Leone declared a state of emergency last year over the abuse of kush within the country.
Lee told the Mail Online: "I had never seen them [the drugs] before. I didn't expect it all when they pulled me over at the airport. I thought it was going to be filled with all my stuff."
The former flight attendant told the outlet that she had been in Bangkok, Thailand, before flying to Sri Lanka and had packed her suitcase in her hotel room before heading out for the night.
She claimed: "They must have planted it then. I know who did it."
Lee says she did not check her luggage again before heading to Colombo, as her Thai visa was about to expire, where she was arrested at the airport.
She claims that she has faced harsh conditions while being held in prison, including being made to sleep on a concrete floor.
A senior customs officer in Sri Lanka told the BBC: "We arrested this lady [Ms Lee] based on profiling," after another British tourist was arrested for similar charges in Georgia.
He claimed there has been a massive increase in drugs coming into Sri Lanka via Bangkok, adding: "This has been a real nuisance."
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