PHUKET police revealed today that two drug couriers have been apprehended at Phuket International Airport this week - a Swiss expat carrying four kilos of cocaine followed by a woman carrying two kilos.

Peter Balmer, 47, and Pimpisa ''Ja'' Pangyota, 38, were both ''mule'' carriers in one of Phuket's biggest hauls of drugs. Khun Ja told Phuketwan today that she had no idea she was carying drugs, but Mr Balmer confessed.

He said he was a Swiss invalid who had lived for years with his second Thai wife in the province of Korat and relied on a pension for injuries sustained while he worked as a carpenter, but Switzerland cut off his pension about three months ago.

Today's media presentation of the two couriers brought a large number of Phuket journalists to Phuket City Police Station, where both loads of cocaine were laid out for all to see.

Mr Balmer and Khun Ja both had the cocaine hidden in the lining of travel bags. His was a standard black case with wheels, hers was a leopard skin carry case.

The two chatted today but said that they did not know each other before being engaged as couriers by men named Mike and Tino in Bangkok's Nana district.

Phuket Police Commander Major General Pekad Tantipong said: ''There was excellent cooperation in these arrests between Immigration, Phuket airport, Phuket police, Customs and other officials.''

Mr Balmer was arrested on Monday about 4pm when his flight arrived from Brizil, via Doha and Kuala Lumpur.

Khun Ja was arrested on Tuesday about 11pm after collecting her bag from the carousel off another flight from the same starting point.

She told Phuketwan: ''I didn't know until I was arrested that there were drugs in the bag. I was offered a holiday trip for two weeks by Mr Mike, a black American I met in Sukomvit in Bangkok.

''He said he would pay for everything, provided I brought back a carry case for him.''

Mr Balmer said that with no pension and funds running low, he agreed to bring in drugs to Thailand for a payment of 200,000 baht. He knew the contact, a man named Tino, from Bangkok.

Major General Pekad said both couriers could now face the death penalty.

Mr Balmer said he had had no contact with his embassy and did not have a lawyer, but had called his Thai wife to let her know he would not be returning to Korat and the small restaurant they ran together.