Package set to fly to New Zealand has 520g of meth
The Office of the Narcotics Control Board said that a package stopped at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport before it flew off to New Zealand had 520 grammes of crystal meth. The package had 7 women’s shoulder bags that were found to be stuffed full of crystal methamphetamine.
Airport staff caught the package before it was scheduled to fly to Auckland on June 2, set to be received by a foreigner in New Zealand. Police in New Zealand have received information about the meth shipment and are attempting to track down the person who is supposed to retrieve the drug shipment. Meanwhile back in Bangkok, the Narcotics Suppression Bureau in Thailand are attempting to trace the identity of the person who sent the package.
Crystal meth is among the most popular drug to be moved through Thailand en route to other countries including New Zealand. Authorities have been cracking down on drug trafficking and drug runners in Thailand over the last few months, with large-scale busts seeming to occur almost daily.
Just in the first 5 months of this year, drug officials have confiscated 29,369 kilogrammes of crystal meth or “ice” as it’s popularly known in Thailand, and 2,387 kilogrammes of heroin, another popular drug to bring into Thailand for mass distribution internationally. Police are also using each drug bust to try to further investigate and move up the chain of drug distribution.
A recent raid in New Zealand neighbour Australia of 316 kilogrammes of meth has netted 10 more people involved in that drug ring that they intend to prosecute. In that case, a Thai cargo ship was docked at Port Botany in Sydney. On May 4, police search 62 big cardboard boxes onboard the vessel. They found water heaters and electric barbecue grills with methamphetamine staff inside.
Police continue to crack down on drugs being smuggled into Thailand for sale both domestically and internationally though the ONCB admit they’re aware of more heroin, meth, and other drugs making it through Thailand to destinations like Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, and South Korea.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
