Thailand’s anti-narcotics agency says it is now tracing a social media “courier” network after a Thai Airways flight attendant was arrested in Australia for heroin smuggling last week, with investigators focusing on a throwaway account used to recruit her for the job.
The Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCD) said today, June 30, that it searched the accused’s condominium in Thailand after being notified of her arrest by the Australian Federal Police (AFP).
The 26 year old was detained at Melbourne Airport on June 25 after officers found more than one kilogramme of heroin hidden in the lining of twelve bags she was carrying as cabin crew, in a haul previously valued at around A$500,000 (11.51 million baht).
ONCD Secretary-General Suriya Singhakamol said CCTV footage showed a delivery rider dropping a parcel at the accused’s condominium on June 22, while she was not yet home.
The parcel was left at the building’s lobby before she collected it and took it to her room, Suriya said, adding that a subsequent search of the room found no further drugs or other illegal items.
Officers also interviewed the accused’s boyfriend to help trace others linked to the case. Suriya said the boyfriend cooperated fully but could not identify who had sent the parcel, and that CCTV footage matched the rest of the investigation.
After the accused was arrested in Australia and became uncontactable, her boyfriend called one of her friends to ask about her whereabouts, which Suriya said is how the case first came to light.
The joint investigation with the AFP found the accused had been contacted through a parcel-carrying group on social media, where an account named “Rose,” which had no profile picture, posted seeking people travelling to Australia with around 20 kilogrammes of spare luggage space, to carry OTOP and other Thai products.
According to chat records reviewed by officers, the accused and her boyfriend questioned the account’s credibility as it had no profile photo, and said they did not normally take jobs from fake accounts.
The person behind the account insisted it was a genuine, regularly used account, and the two sides agreed on a fee of 8,800 baht for the job. Officers are still checking whether this fee matches typical rates for general courier work.
The sender then delivered the parcel to the condominium before the accused travelled to Australia with it, Suriya said. The account has since been deactivated, and officers are working to trace whoever was behind it to expand the investigation to others involved.
Suriya said the Thai Embassy in Australia is providing the accused with basic consular support as a Thai national while her case proceeds through the Australian justice system. She has not been granted bail and is due to appear before Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on September 14, with officials expecting more clarity on the legal process within around four weeks.
Thai investigators said they will continue exchanging information with the AFP to identify others who may be connected to the alleged smuggling network, following Suvarnabhumi Airport’s earlier statement defending its baggage screening procedures in the wake of the arrest.
The story Thai Airways flight attendant ‘misled’ into heroin run, chats suggest as seen on Thaiger News.
