A former public schoolboy has been arrested in Thailand after allegedly being caught with 20lb of crystal meth, authorities in Bangkok have said, writes The Telegraph.

George Wilson, 23, from High Wycombe, Bucks, was found with 9.1kg of the drug in his hotel room in Bangkok on Monday evening, according to Thai police. A statement shared on social media by Thai police said its officers had “received a tip-off that a group of foreigners were planning a narcotics handover at the hotel”. Photographs released by police also showed a suitcase on a bed with foil bags, which were labelled as tea, which officers claim contained crystal meth.

Mr Wilson, who had been on holiday in Thailand for two weeks, denied having any knowledge of what was inside the suitcase. He was a former pupil of Hurst Lodge School in Surrey, a £70,000-a-year public school attended by Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, the Daily Mail reported. He grew up in the town of Marlow, Bucks, according to a family friend.

They told the Daily Mail: “It’s astonishing that someone from such a well-heeled background could find himself caught up in this; no one could believe it when we saw the reports of George’s arrest”.

Lt Col Noppha Thongbo, from the Lumpini district station, said: “The suspect’s full name is George Henry Allaway Wilson, born on 29 July 2002, from High Wycombe. “He was arrested on Sept 29 at 6pm. He is currently in police custody and will be taken to the Bangkok South Criminal Court tomorrow for detention in prison”.

Officers believe Mr Wilson had planned to carry the drugs through Thailand’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport to meet a gang member from another country. They also claimed that the meth was produced at a drugs lab in Myanmar before arriving in neighbouring Thailand, which has strict drug laws. Importing or exporting drugs carries a maximum punishment of the death penalty or life in prison.

Col Siranawitcha Intorn, superintendent of the crime suppression division, said: “We believe he was part of a cross-border drug smuggling network, which is very serious. The amount of drugs seized was also very large. The highest levels of the Royal Thai Police have coordinated to make the arrest”. Lt Col Pongtanin Bamrungsuksawat said he acted as a translator during Mr Wilson’s arrest. He added: “I spoke English with suspect. He confirmed that items were his. Charges were explained to him along with his rights, he was handcuffed and taken”.