Thai Customs officers at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport on Monday intercepted a drug cargo bound for Hong Kong, discovering over forty three kilogrammes of heroin hidden in hill tribe garments. The illicit drugs have been estimated to be value 107.5 million baht.
According to Patchara Anultasilp, director-general of the Thai Customs Department, officials grew suspicious of 29 packing containers destined for Hong Kong, which were declared to contain house appliances, clothes, cosmetics, and hair removal devices. Upon inspection, officers discovered hill tribe-style shirts and waist ties in six of the boxes, reported Bangkok Post.
Upon additional examination, Thai Customs officers discovered that the sleeves of the shirts were unusually thick and had a strong odour. Pattern decided to tear the clothes and found fabric packs containing heroin hidden inside the sleeves and waist ties. After all the clothes have been inspected, a total of forty three.4 kilogrammes of heroin was seized.
This latest drug bust is one of many who have occurred at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok over the previous few years.
In 2019, authorities arrested a Nigerian man trying to smuggle 1.eight kilogrammes of cocaine into Thailand via the airport.
In 2018, three Thai nationals had been arrested for attempting to smuggle sixteen kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine out of the country. In the same 12 months, a Nigerian man was caught making an attempt to smuggle 1.2 kilogrammes of cocaine into Thailand.
These incidents spotlight the continuing problem faced by Thai authorities in combating drug trafficking via its airports.
The Thai authorities is optimistic that it could stamp out the unlawful use of narcotics after the success of a recent drug programme within the northeastern Nong Bua Lam Phu province.
Three weeks provincial governor Suwit Chanhuan reported that the “change for good” program that has been piloted in Nong Bua Lam Phu over the previous three months has been successful in encompassing drug prevention, suppression, and rehabilitation..