Thai cops seize couple from China smuggling drugs to Australia

A Chinese couple is facing a lifetime in prison, and a possible death sentence, after police arrested the pair trying to mail heroin to Australia with a street value of about US$500,000.

Officers from the Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB) in central Thailand swooped to arrest the couple, Jun Dai, and Jiali Xie, in front of a chicken rice shop in Sam Phran district of Nakhon Pathom province after being tipped off on Tuesday. They were trying to smuggle 4.19 kilograms of heroin through a mail package to Australia.

The NSB made the swoop after being alerted by Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport customs officials who detected a suspicious parcel. Officials opened it and found heroin hidden between plastic boards used to make boxes.

Sarayuth Sanguanpokhai, the NSB chief, said the couple was charged with possession and attempting to smuggle a category 1 drug out of the country.

The suspects confessed they were hired to send the package from an office in Pattaya but said they were unaware it contained heroin.

The Chinese couple’s home was subsequently raided and police seized assets worth 9.3 million baht (US$257,200), including gold, and six condominium rooms in Bangkok and Pattaya.

Sarayuth revealed an investigation is underway to discover whether the wealth was acquired through drug trafficking.

Under Thai law, the couple face up to life imprisonment and a fine between 1 million baht to 5 million baht for production, importation, or exportation, unless for disposal, in which case the penalty is death. The intention to ‘dispose of’ is inferred through quantities defined in the Act.

Earlier this month the Customs Office of Hong Kong seized 20 million baht of heroin hidden in kickboxing pads imported from Thailand and arrested a 40 year old man in the process. The Hong Kong government reported that 5 kilograms of heroin, worth about 20 million baht, was seized at Chek Lap Kok International Airport on Saturday, August 6.

SOURCE: SCMP