A 47 year old man has been arrested in Phitsanulok after police said he delivered heroin hidden in elephant print fabric bags to a Thai flight attendant detained in Australia with the drugs.
Police named the man as Uthai Khanaphiwat, an ethnic Hmong from Nan province, arrested at 10.30pm on July 3 at an old bus terminal in Mueang district, Phitsanulok.
The case followed the arrest of flight attendant Meena by Australian customs officers and federal police, who found drugs in her possession.
Narcotics Suppression Centre chief Samran Nuanma said investigators traced Uthai through driver Atirach Supian, 59, who he had allegedly paid to deliver a box to Meena at a condominium in Bang Na on June 22.
Yesterday, July 4, officers took Uthai to his rented room to confirm evidence. Forensic officers used FTIR, an infrared testing method, on white powder found in torn elephant print fabric and confirmed it was heroin. Uthai nodded when asked if the fabric had held the drugs.
Uthai admitted travelling to Chiang Kham on June 20 to collect bags containing heroin, which he stored in his room. After learning of Meena’s arrest, he flushed the remaining heroin down the toilet and discarded some bags to destroy evidence. Items found on July 4 had reportedly been returned from the Soi Suea Yai area, with tests showing a heroin residue reading of nearly 900 out of 1,000 points.
Uthai said he was paid 60,000 baht (US$1,650) per delivery and had made three runs, contacted through a Line group by someone using the code name ‘Rinrin’, whose real identity he did not know. He said he did not pack the heroin himself but repacked bags already sealed before delivery, using the same driver, Atirach, each time, contacted by phone rather than through an app.
Police have not ruled out Atirach’s involvement and are gathering evidence before deciding on a further arrest warrant. Officers also confirmed Uthai was the man in a blue hoodie seen in CCTV footage, matching clothing found during searches, though the item worn on the day had since been discarded.
Uthai was escorted from the apartment at 5.10pm, telling reporters, ‘Sorry to the air hostess, sorry for what I did, I’m really sorry.’
Police said charges were still being finalised and were expected to include multiple drug offences, with the investigation continuing to identify others involved in the network, reported Matichon.
The story Phitsanulok police arrest heroin courier for air hostess as seen on Thaiger News.
