SUVARNABHUMI — Thai authorities from ONCB, Suvarnabhumi Airport Police, and Customs Department jointly intercepted international cannabis network bound for Italy and UK – 89 kilograms seized.
On November 3, Police Lieutenant General Phanurat Lakboon, Secretary-General of the Office of Narcotics Control Board (ONCB), revealed the results of intercepting cannabis smuggling attempts from Thailand to Europe. The Airport Interdiction Task Force (AITF) seized 89 kilograms of cannabis in two separate cases, involving one female and two male suspects.
In the first case, AITF officers arrested one Singaporean suspect on November 1 after discovering 19 kilograms of cannabis flowers concealed in luggage while attempting to travel to Singapore en route to Italy.
On November 2, 2024, AITF officers arrested two Malaysian suspects – one female and one male – who were scheduled to travel from Bangkok to Singapore before connecting to London, UK. A search of their luggage revealed cannabis hidden in four bags, totaling 70 kilograms.
Suspects in both cases were charged with “attempting to export controlled herbal plants (cannabis flowers) out of the kingdom without a permit and failing to declare items according to customs law.”
Police Lieutenant General Phanurat added that this successful operation resulted from close coordination between AITF agencies, including ONCB, Suvarnabhumi Airport Police, and Customs Department, in intercepting and preventing drug trafficking and illegal items, particularly at airports which serve as crucial connection points for transnational drug trafficking routes.
Drug traffickers often use Thailand as a transit route to third countries. He emphasized the importance of preventing and intercepting drugs that tend to use Thailand as a transit route. The public can report drug-related tips or information through the ONCB hotline at 1386, available 24 hours.
In August this year, the British Embassy in Bangkok issued a warning against attempting to smuggle cannabis into the UK, following a rise in the number of arrests of air passengers arriving from Thailand, Canada and the US.
Around half of all arrests (184) in 2024 related to cannabis that originated in Thailand, while 75 arrests related to cannabis originating from Canada and 47 related to cannabis from the US.
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