Brazilian duo caught with 22 million baht cocaine at Bangkok airport
Foreign couple busted for drug smuggling at Suvarnabhumi
Thai Customs officials apprehended a Brazilian couple for attempting to smuggle cocaine valued at over 22 million baht.
Between October 1 last year and yesterday, May 6, customs has handled 140 cases, seizing drugs worth a total of approximately 800 million baht.
Yesterday, Pantong Loykulnanta, advisor on development and tax collection and Government spokesperson for the Customs Department, highlighted the prime minister’s policy focusing on preventing and suppressing drug smuggling and sales.
Deputy Prime Minister Pichai Chunhawan and Deputy Finance Minister Julaphan Amornviwat have instructed the Customs Department to rigorously implement these policies, given their role in safeguarding society through customs control systems.
Teerach Atthawanich, Director General of the Customs Department, urged customs officers to intensify surveillance on drug smuggling through all possible channels, continuing collaboration with related agencies.
The Customs Department’s Investigation and Suppression Division, in cooperation with the Airport Interdiction Task Force (AITF), including the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) and the Narcotics Suppression Bureau, analysed intelligence data.
They identified two Brazilian passengers, a 26 year old woman and a 27 year old man, as potential drug smugglers. The duo travelled from Salvador International Airport in Brazil, changed flights at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport in France, and arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Thailand.
Upon their arrival, customs officials observed them at baggage carousel 18, designated for Air France flights. The suspects attempted to pass through the green channel, indicating they had nothing to declare, at the east zone B, level 2, for international arrivals.
Customs officers revealed their identity, requested passports, and proceeded to X-ray their luggage. Initial analysis of the X-ray images suggested abnormalities in both their soft luggage bags with wheels.
Customs requested the pair to open their bags, revealing suspicious items wrapped in black carbon paper along the sides and base.
Inside, transparent plastic packages contained white powder. Testing the powder with ONCB052 Cobalt Thiocyanate Reagent confirmed it as category 2 narcotic cocaine, weighing 7.4 kilogrammes, and valued at approximately 22.2 million baht, reported KhaoSod.
This incident serves as an example of an unauthorised attempt to bring category 2 narcotics (cocaine) into the kingdom, as well as possession without permission under the Narcotics Code and sections 242 and 252, in conjunction with sections 166 and 167 of the Customs Act of 2017 and related laws.
The government spokesperson reiterated the Customs Department’s commitment to ensuring societal safety by strictly preventing and suppressing the smuggling of drugs and goods, aligning with government policies.
For the fiscal year 2024 (October 1 to May 6), the department has recorded 140 drug-related cases, with a total value of 800.67 million baht.
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