The number of young British nationals arrested abroad after being recruited as drug mules more than quadrupled over three years, according to new government figures.

They showed a steep rise from just over 80 arrests in 2023, to more than 340 in 2025 – with the increase driven by cannabis-related offences linked to Thailand and elsewhere in South East Asia.

People are lured by gangs with the “promise [of] free travel or a quick way to make cash”, said Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty, who warned of harsh treatment if detained abroad.

Earlier this year, a BBC investigation found Thailand-based drug gangs were recruiting people to transport large quantities of cannabis in suitcases.

In some instances, people were told they would be carrying suitcases full of clothes, gold or cash. Instead, they contained up to 71kg of cannabis.

Cannabis is a Class B drug in the UK, with penalties of up to five years in prison for possession and up to 14 years for supply and production, as well as unlimited fines.

The Foreign Office said more than 200 British nationals have been detained on suspicion of smuggling cannabis from Thailand, a popular tourist destination. Since 2024, around 60% of them have been aged between 16 and 30.

Young people are commonly recruited on social media and are often incentivised to carry luggage for gangs without knowing its contents.

According to research commissioned by the Foreign Office, a third of young Britons surveyed did not consider travelling with luggage packed by someone else to be a risk.

Penalties for smuggling overseas include prison sentences, fines, corporal punishment such as whipping, or in some cases, the death penalty.

Doughty said “no holiday, payment or opportunity is worth risking your freedom, your future or your life”.

He continued: “Detainees are warning about the dire living conditions they now face decades of in prison or, in some countries, the possibility of the death penalty.”

One Briton detained abroad described a “sense of mourning for the life” they previously had, while another said: “It’s your freedom you’re risking, and once it’s gone, it’s not easy to get back.”

Smuggling from Malaysia, Laos and Cambodia was also cited by the UK government as common smuggling sources, as it launched a campaign to deter young British nationals from transporting illicit cargo.

In July, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said British “mules” caught smuggling cannabis from Thailand would face prison, and would have to pay Thai Customs 30,000 Baht (£680) per kilogram to leave the country.

So far in 2026 there have been more than 160 cases of British nationals arrested overseas for drug smuggling offences, the Foreign Office said.

In 2024, police seized £13.8m worth of cannabis smuggled from Thailand at Birmingham Airport. Eight of the 11 people convicted for their involvement last month were in their twenties.