British tourist faces up to 20 years in Thai prison after 'he is caught with a bag of cocaine hidden in his PASSPORT by immigration staff'

Jamie Louis Swain (pictured), 29, from Enfield, north London, arrived in Phuket, Thailand on an Etihad Airways flight on Thursday night

A British tourist is possibly facing a sentence of as long as 20 years in a Thai prison after allegedly being caught with a bag of cocaine hidden in his passport by immigration staff.

Jamie Louis Swain, a 29-year-old from Enfield in north London, arrived in Phuket, Thailand on an Etihad Airways flight on Thursday night.

When he handed his passport to an immigration officer, the cop noticed a small plastic bag (pictured) with white powder inside when flicking through the document to find an empty page to place the visa stamp

When he gave his passport to an immigration officer, the officer noticed a small plastic bag with white powder inside while flipping through the document to find an empty page for the visa stamp.

Authorities stated that Swain reacted with surprise, then began swearing and shaking, which prompted them to conduct further inspections and scan his luggage.

Officers said that Swain reacted with surprise, before he started swearing and shaking, prompting authorities to conduct further inspections and scanning his luggage (pictured above)

He was arrested at Phuket International Airport, where police tested the substance found in his passport and confirmed it was 0.42 grams of cocaine. Police Colonel Padthongtew Damapong, superintendent of Phuket Airport Immigration, said, "An immigration officer found the cocaine when she was checking the tourist's passport. The suspect was charged with importing category II narcotics, namely cocaine, into the country and possessing them. The suspect was handed over to Sakhu Police Station for further legal action."

He was arrested at Phuket International Airport, where police tested the substance found in his passport and confirmed it was 0.42 grams of cocaine

Under Thailand's Narcotics Act, importing cocaine into the country carries a maximum jail term of 20 years to life and a fine of £43,000 to £108,000 (2,000,000 – 5,000,000 Baht).

Possessing cocaine can result in up to five years in jail or a fine not exceeding £2,000 (100,000 Baht), or both.