Drug offences top cause of Brit arrests abroad

Twenty per cent of arrests of Britons overseas are drug-related, the Foreign Office (FO) says.

Travel Insurance News - 27/08/2009

<< Returning Brits face fines for fake goods | Travel News | Important to book holidays with bonded agent >>

Twenty-two British nationals are currently facing charges in countries around the world for capital offences involving drugs, according to FO figures.

The figures also revealed that excessive drinking is also a major contributor to the number of Britons arrested or being hospitalised while travelling abroad.

For the 12-month period from April 2008 to March 2009, Spain saw the largest number of British holidaymakers arrested or hospitalised.

However, proportionately, more Britons were likely to be arrested in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) than anywhere else - and most likely to be hospitalised in Thailand.

According to the FO data, there were 991 Britons arrested for drug offences around the world in the April 2008-March 2009 period. Drug offences accounted for 25 per cent of all UK holidaymakers in Thailand.

The greatest number of arrests occurred in Spain, at 2,290, with the US coming in second at 1,534 and the UAE at 294. Visa overstays contributed to a large percentage of the offences.

The largest number of hospitalisations of Britons occurred in Spain, at 741, followed by Greece, with 433, France, with 203 and Thailand, with 198.

<< Returning Brits face fines for fake goods | Travel News | Important to book holidays with bonded agent >>