Loei couple held in Bangkok for drug network probe

A Thai man and his Laotian wife were escorted from the northeastern province of Loei to the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) in Bangkok today, for questioning in connection with the arrest on June 25 of a TG cabin crew member at the airport in Melbourne, Australia, with heroin found in 12 fabric tote bags in her baggage.

According to the ONCB, the 43-yearold Thai man, only identified as ‘Arthit’, allegedly sent six parcels containing heroin on behalf of a Laotian man, in return for 8,000 baht cash for each delivery to Bangkok, for forwarding to overseas destinations.

Five parcels were sent to a postal service operator in Chiang Khan district of Loei and one to another operator in Erawan district. Each time he received 8,000 baht from the Laotian employer, whose identity is not known. His Laotian wife denied any knowledge of the parcel deliveries.

ONCB officials said that they have not yet found any evidence linking the couple to the TG cabin crew case.

ONCB Secretary General Pol Maj Suriya Singhakamol said yesterday that his officials have intensified their investigation into the network responsible for the trafficking of illegal narcotics from Thailand to Australia using parcel services.

He disclosed that, on June 30, anti-narcotics officers seized two boxes, sent from Loei to Bangkok to be forwarded to Australia via a postal service. 8.17kg of heroin was found hidden in the two boxes among locally-made products.

On the following day, two similar boxes, originating in Loei, were seized at a postal service in Bang Kapi district of Bangkok. 6.23kg of heroin was found hidden in the two boxes bound for Taiwan, but were declared as silk garments. The third box, containing 9.98kg of heroin, hidden among coffee packs and winter coats and destined for Australia, was seized at a postal service in Ratchathewi district.