Thai customs officers arrested a South African national at Suvarnabhumi International Airport after discovering more than 17.5 kilogrammes of heroin in his luggage during a transit stop.
The Customs Department, working with the Airport Interdiction Task Force (AITF), identified the passenger through intelligence analysis after he was flagged as a potential drug smuggling suspect.
According to officials, the accused was travelling from Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia and was transiting through Suvarnabhumi Airport before continuing to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and then Ivato International Airport in Madagascar.
Officers inspected the passenger’s checked baggage at the airport’s transfer baggage terminal using X-ray equipment after identifying irregularities during the screening process. The passenger and his luggage were then separated for a detailed examination.
During the search, officials found packages labelled as coffee, green tea and various dietary supplements. However, police said the packages contained a white powdered substance instead of the products shown on the packaging.
Subsequent testing confirmed the substance was heroin. Authorities seized more than 17.5 kilogrammes of the drug, with an estimated street value of more than 7.3 million baht.
The South African national was arrested and will face legal proceedings under the Customs Act and the Narcotics Act.
Officials said the Suvarnabhumi heroin seizure forms part of a wider investigation to identify other people connected to the alleged trafficking operation, both in Thailand and overseas.
In a related case reported last week, police arrested a Thai woman after she attempted to send 2.1 kilogrammes of heroin to Taiwan through an international parcel service. The drugs were also concealed inside coffee and tea packaging.
According to investigators, the woman admitted collecting the parcel from Chiang Rai province and said she was paid 10,000 baht to send it to Taiwan.
Authorities are also examining whether that case is connected to the investigation involving a Thai flight attendant arrested in Australia. Police said inquiries into the possible link remain ongoing.
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