TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – An inspection found 16 kilograms of marijuana in the luggage of a British teenager flying from Thailand to Taiwan, reports said Friday.

Elijah, 18, was recruited as a drug mule by an international criminal group before he left the UK, the Liberty Times reported. On March 30, he boarded a flight to Thailand, where he agreed to take luggage to Taiwan in return for 30,000 baht (NT$27,000, US$926).

He picked up a suitcase with 33 packets of marijuana near Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport on April 9 before boarding a flight to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. When he arrived in the evening, he reportedly acted suspiciously, leading customs officers to search his luggage, where they found 16 kg of marijuana.

Elijah admitted having smuggled the drugs in return for money, according to prosecutors, adding he had already spent two-thirds of his payment. He was indicted for breaking the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act by smuggling a Category 2 drug into Taiwan.