Peruvian man caught in Bangkok Airport: Tourist’s cocaine-smuggling scheme foiled

Thai authorities apprehended a Peruvian man at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok on Monday after the foreigner smuggled cocaine into the country.

Thai Customs Department spokesperson Phanthong Loykunlanan yesterday made a report regarding the arrest of the Peruvian man on Monday, August 21. He reported that the authorities received a tip-off on a suspicious passenger aboard an Air France airline. The passenger reportedly journeyed from the Peruvian capital, Lima, and later transited in Paris, France, en route to Bangkok.

Upon the suspect’s arrival, airport staff members closely monitored each passenger until they spotted the suspicious Peruvian man, whose identity was not disclosed. The scanning of his backpack yielded no illicit results. However, a full-body scan of the South American revealed some suspicious items inside his body, identified as 10 packs of liquid cocaine, weighing 2,280 grammes, and valued at over 6.8 million baht.

The liquid cocaine was packed in four condoms. Details of how the man hid the drugs were not clarified by the authorities.

Spokesperson Phanthong reported that the action violated Sections 242, 245, and 167 of the Customs Act and also violated the Narcotics Act. The authorities believed that the suspect did not commit the crime alone and would conduct further investigation to reach the drug trafficking gang.

This incident marks just one of a series of crackdowns initiated by Thai authorities against drug trafficking involving foreigners.

On August 15, the police officers raided a condominium in the Rama 9 neighbourhood of Bangkok to arrest two drug traffickers from Hong Kong and managed to confiscate over 11 kilogrammes of heroin.

On the following day, the officers managed to arrest two Chinese, four Taiwanese, and one Thai suspect who were members of the drug trafficking gang called Khai Huang. The gang had made a name for themselves by concealing crystal methamphetamine within the axle rods of trucks for international shipment.