SUVARNABHUMI — Chinese Hong Kong gang caught smuggling 14 kg of heroin hidden in snack boxes at Suvarnabhumi Airport.
On August 16, Police Lieutenant General Phanurat Lakboon, Secretary-General of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB), along with Mr. Kittipong Kittikachorn, Director of Suvarnabhumi Airport, held a press conference to announce the arrest of four Hong Kong Chinese suspects.
The suspects were caught with approximately 14 kilograms of heroin concealed in snack boxes inside a wheeled suitcase, preparing to travel to Hong Kong. The announcement was made at the ONCB Operations Center.
Lt. Gen. Phanurat revealed that the ONCB coordinated intelligence efforts with the Hong Kong Narcotics Bureau, identifying the movement of four Hong Kong Chinese individuals involved in drug trafficking. These individuals were responsible for coordinating drug procurement, controlling, and transporting heroin from Thailand to Hong Kong. The Airport Interdiction Task Force (AITF) was assigned to monitor the group’s activities.
On August 11, officials learned that the four targets would enter Thailand and stay at hotels in the Huai Khwang and Ramkhamhaeng areas. Close surveillance was maintained. On the night of August 14, officials observed a suspect, believed to be the drug procurement coordinator, receiving a suspicious suitcase from a sedan near their hotel in Huai Khwang.
On August 15, around 7:00 p.m., the four suspects separately traveled to Suvarnabhumi Airport. Upon arrival, they all entered the restroom together, leading officials to believe a drug handover was taking place in preparation for transport to Hong Kong. Officials then revealed themselves and requested a search.
The suspects were escorted to an X-ray checkpoint, where 40 bars of heroin, weighing approximately 14 kilograms, were discovered hidden in snack boxes inside a wheeled suitcase. All suspects were subsequently arrested.
The Secretary-General noted that transnational drug trafficking networks are spread across all regions, frequently using Thailand as a transit point to third countries. In response, the AITF and Seaport Interdiction Task Force (SITF) have been established to intercept drugs at entry points and prevent their distribution inland or export to other countries. These efforts include international cooperation and information exchange, leading to concrete results in investigating transnational crime networks.
Previously, Hong Kong Chinese networks have made several similar attempts to smuggle heroin from Thailand to Hong Kong. For instance, on June 23, 2024, officials arrested four Hong Kong Chinese suspects with 14 kilograms of heroin packed in wheeled suitcases, also preparing to depart for Hong Kong from Suvarnabhumi Airport.
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