Heroin found in impregnated cotton seat covers set for export from Phrae province

Postal service providers have been warned by anti-narcotic police to exercise extra caution in accepting parcels for shipping to overseas customers, following the seizure of a parcel containing 20 cotton seat covers impregnated with heroin in Den Chai district of Phrae province in mid-May.

The seizure of about 5.6kg of ‘drip-dry’ heroin from the cotton seat covers led drug squad officers to make subsequent raids in Bangkok and resulting the confiscation of more than 100kg of heron, according to Den Chai district police.

The accidental discovery of the ‘drip-dry’ drug shipment was reported to the Den Chai police by a postal service operator, who became suspicious about the unusual weight of a box containing 20 seat covers sent from Nakhon Phanom province for onward shipment overseas. Each seat cover weighs about 1kg. The operator unzipped a cover and found white powder inside. He immediately alerted the police.

Den Chai police launched a follow-up investigation, which led them to Nakhon Phanom. Two suspects were arrested and a subsequent seizure of more than 100kg of heroin was made in Bangkok.

Anti-narcotic police have advised postal service providers to check all parcels carefully, especially those to be delivered overseas and are atypical in weight for the stated contents. Air passengers are also warned not to accept parcels to be taken abroad from strangers or from others in exchange for payment.

The heroin found in the fabric tote bags of a THAI cabin crew member, arrested by Australian police in Melbourne on June 29, is believed to have used the ‘drip-dry’ method, an established method used by drug traffickers to evade detection, according to anti-narcotic police.