Hash and grab: Russian busted after smuggling drugs in condom
Tourist’s ‘high’ hopes go up in smoke after drug stash found in belly in Koh Pha Ngan
A dopey Russian drug peddler has been busted on the party island of Koh Pha Ngan after cops uncovered a stash of narcotics, including hashish he smuggled into Thailand by swallowing it in condoms.
The Russian suspect, Denis Bichuk, was caught red-handed outside a convenience store in the Maduawan area yesterday, May 6, looking nervous, sweaty and downright dodgy.
When Tourist Police moved in, they found cocaine, magic mushrooms and a whopping 415 grammes of cannabis resin hidden in the 36 year old’s bag, an arresting officer said.
“He was behaving erratically and sweating profusely when we approached him. That gave us enough reason to search him.”
The bust was part of a crackdown on foreign drug offenders ordered by Police Lieutenant General Saksira Phueak-am, chief of the Tourist Police Bureau, following a spike in narcotics activity on the island.
Inside Bichuk’s shoulder bag, police found:
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9.42 grammes of cocaine.
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13.56 grammes of cow dung mushrooms (magic mushrooms).
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415.72 grammes of hashish packed in four condoms.
During questioning, Bichuk admitted the sticky black substance was hashish, which he had smuggled into Thailand by swallowing condom-wrapped pellets in Bhutan to avoid detection at customs.
He told officers: “I took photos of the hash and sold it to tourists once I arrived. It’s expensive and makes good profit.”
As for the cocaine, Bichuk claimed he bought it from a foreigner on the island for 4,000 baht per gramme. He said he got the mushrooms from “an acquaintance.”
Police have slapped him with a string of charges, including:
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Possession of Category 2 narcotics (cocaine).
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Possession of Category 5 narcotics (magic mushrooms).
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Possession of a controlled herbal substance (cannabis resin) exceeding legal limits.
He was hauled off to Koh Pha Ngan Police Station, where he remains in custody.
Penalties for smuggling hashish into Thailand
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Importation or Exportation: Punishable by 2 to 15 years of imprisonment and fines ranging from 200,000 to 1,500,000 baht.
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Possession with Intent to Distribute: Carries a sentence of 2 to 10 years in prison and fines between 40,000 and 200,000 baht. If the quantity exceeds 10 kilograms, penalties increase to a maximum of 15 years and fines up to 1,500,000 baht.
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Simple Possession: May result in up to 5 years of imprisonment and/or fines up to 100,000 baht.
Channel 3 Plus News reported that police suspect Bichuk may be part of a wider drug network preying on tourists during the island’s infamous Full Moon parties. Investigations are ongoing.
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