FRANKFURT, Germany - A senior executive working for German auto giant Volkswagen in China has been expelled from the country after allegedly testing positive for drugs following a holiday in Thailand, German officials confirmed Tuesday.
Jochen Sengpiehl was detained and told to quickly leave the country after Chinese officials said they had detected traces of cannabis and cocaine in his blood on his return from Thailand, according to German media reports.
The German foreign ministry said it was "aware of the case" and its Beijing embassy was "in regular contact with the person concerned and his family, as well as with the local authorities".
Sengpiehl was interrogated for hours before being put behind bars, Germany's Bild tabloid reported.
He remained in custody for more than 10 days before VW and German embassy officials succeeded in getting him released -- but he had to leave the country immediately, Bild said.
Volkswagen declined to comment.
China has extremely tough anti-narcotics laws.
Marijuana was decriminalised in Thailand in 2022 although the government backtracked earlier this year and a new ban is looming.
Sengpiehl, in his 50s, had been VW's chief China marketing officer since August 2022, according to his LinkedIn page. Prior to that he was head of marketing for the entire 10-brand Volkswagen group, and was based in Germany.
The case adds to Volkswagen's headaches in China, traditionally one of its most important markets.
It is losing ground rapidly to homegrown rivals, particularly in the area of electric vehicles. - AFP