Busted buds: Indian men nabbed in Bangkok airport cannabis scam
Two Indian men were arrested at Don Mueang International Airport for attempting to smuggle a staggering 22 kilogrammes of cannabis disguised as snack bags. The duo’s audacious plan to slip the marijuana past customs was thwarted in a dramatic operation today, March 10.
The masterminds behind the daring plot, Kamarudheen and Shibin, both 34 years of age, were apprehended at the check-in counter of the departure terminal.
Police Colonel Phuwanon Unphothi, Superintendent of Don Mueang Police Station, along with the elite team from the Investigation and Suppression Division and officers from the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine, were all in on the high-stakes sting.
The would-be smugglers were in the process of boarding a flight to Bhairawa International Airport in India when their luggage aroused suspicion. Officers examining the bags through X-ray found them brimming with contraband, cannabis buds expertly packed in 22 snack bags, each weighing a hefty kilogramme.
When confronted, the men failed to produce any legal documentation for the export of cannabis flowers, as required under the Ministry of Public Health’s strict regulations on controlled herbs. With no permits to wave, the game was up for our sly schemers.
Charged with attempting to export undeclared goods under the Customs Act of 2017, the hapless pair were swiftly whisked away to Don Mueang Police Station, along with their ill-fated cannabis cargo, for further legal action, reported KhaoSod.
As officers celebrated their arrest against this cheeky cannabis charade, travellers to and from Thailand are reminded: not all snacks are what they seem, and customs won’t be fooled by crafty packaging.
Win Sinhaseni, owner of the hafaniceday cannabis shop in Bangkok, weed smuggling gives undermines the ganja business in Thailand.
“Cannabis is legal in the country for personal use, and is legal to sell if you have the license. To smuggle to India or wherever is not what we as a country intended.”
In similar news late last year, five travellers arriving from Bangkok were caught in a bold smuggling attempt at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) on Christmas Day.
Indian customs officials seized an astonishing 26 kilogrammes of hydroponic marijuana, valued at 26 crores (approximately 104 million baht), cleverly hidden within everyday household items.
Acting on a tip-off, the Indian Customs Department intercepted the suspects shortly after they disembarked from their flight.
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