DOHA, QATAR – An 18-year-old British traveller was detained in Doha with cannabis during transit from Thailand, leaving his family fighting for his release.
Teenager arrested in Doha transit
Scottish teenager Lino Neil was arrested on 21 November at Hamad International Airport while returning from Thailand, according to his family. Authorities in Qatar accused him of attempting to bring cannabis into the country, a charge that could carry severe penalties. The British Foreign Office said it was aware of the case and was providing support, and a trial was scheduled for 27 January.
Mother claims son was used by criminal gangs
Neil’s mother Nicola Neil (49) said she believed her inexperienced son had been targeted by criminal networks.
“He is only a teenager, a baby,”
said Nicola, according to the Daily Record.
“He has no contacts in Thailand and no way of setting up any kind of drug deal. It is so obvious that he was exploited and abused by gangsters.”
said Nicola, mother.
She reported that her son had been under the control of a British man and had been threatened with violence. The family argued that the teenager was an easy target for organised groups looking for couriers.
Harsh conditions in Qatari detention
The family described the conditions of his detention in Qatar as severe. Neil was initially held in an overcrowded cell at the airport before being transferred to Doha Central Prison.
“He has been given so little to eat that he has lost a lot of weight. He is terrified of dying,”
said Nicola, mother.
During a telephone call, he was reportedly
“completely desperate”
and expressed suicidal thoughts, leaving relatives fearing for his life. They said the prolonged uncertainty and isolation were taking a serious toll on his mental health.
Crippling legal and financial strain on family
The case also placed a heavy financial burden on the family in Scotland. Legal and court costs were estimated at up to 40,000 pounds, roughly 47,000 euros. So far, they had managed to raise only 2,500 pounds to secure basic legal representation ahead of the proceedings.
His older brother Robbie, 28, rejected the idea that Neil was a deliberate smuggler.
“He is a young guy who knows more about fishing than about anything else,”
said Robbie, brother.
Warning sign for holidaymakers
The incident was compared to a case from May 2025, in which a British woman was arrested at Heathrow Airport after returning from Thailand with cannabis in her luggage. The report highlighted what it described as the ruthless risks of drug smuggling, whether intentional or as an unwitting courier. Penalties in countries such as Qatar were described as extremely severe.
For travellers, the account underlined calls for absolute caution when dealing with luggage and with new acquaintances abroad. The family’s experience was presented as a reminder that a single mistake in a transit country could destroy a life.