SUVARNABHUMI — Thai customs officials at Suvarnabhumi Airport arrested a Canadian man attempting to smuggle 3,235 grams of heroin worth over 1 million baht ($30,770) to Taiwan. The drugs were cleverly concealed inside women’s handbags in his luggage.
Customs officers became suspicious of the passenger’s luggage on the morning of June 30 due to its excessive weight and unusual thickness. X-ray screening revealed suspicious items with characteristics of narcotics, prompting officials to invite the Canadian passenger for further inspection.
During the baggage search, officers discovered brown and black women’s handbags among clothing and shoes. Inside the rolling suitcase walls, they found gray cloth packages wrapped with black tape. When opened, these contained carbon paper and clear plastic bags filled with white powder that tested positive for heroin.
The investigation revealed additional concealment methods in two women’s handbags, which showed fresh stitching on both sides of the walls and appeared abnormally thick. After cutting open the bag walls, officers found more gray packages hidden inside, also containing heroin. The total weight of seized heroin was 3,235 grams, valued at over 1 million baht.
The Canadian passenger was preparing to fly with China Airlines from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. He faces charges of attempting to smuggle Category 1 narcotics (heroin) out of Thailand and illegal possession of Category 1 narcotics without authorization. The case has been transferred to the Narcotics Suppression Bureau for prosecution and investigation into the drug network.
A Customs Department spokesperson reported that for fiscal year 2025 (October 2024 – June 30, 2025), the department has seized heroin in 28 cases with a total weight of approximately 97.87 kilograms.
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