Police arrest British man on drugs charges in Thailand

Thai police in the beach resort of Pattaya have arrested a British man on charges of drug trafficking and he could face the death penalty, police said on Wednesday. Mark Freely, 45, from Manchester, England, was arrested on late Sunday after police seized about one kilogram (2.2 pounds) of cocaine in his rented room at the popular resort, police Lt. Col. Theerasak Charoensri said.

The arrest took take place after a long investigation which found that the suspect, who has lived in Pattaya for about one year, had been selling the drug to users in the area, Theerasak said. The suspect is being detained by police pending further investigation and a formal trial. Police said he could face a maximum penalty of death. Pattaya, located 110 kilometer (65 miles) southeast of Bangkok, is a haven for foreign criminal gangs, reports the AP. I.L.