An Indian man has been arrested after being found in possession of 5.7 kilos of cocaine at Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport.
The 39 year old passenger was arrested on Sunday, June 16, after arriving on a flight from Laos. According to a Bangkok Post report, his behaviour at the airport had aroused the suspicions of Customs officials.
His arrest was announced at a media briefing held on Monday morning, June 17, and attended by the deputy finance minister, Julapun Amornvivat, the deputy chief of the Customs department, Niti Witthayatem, and a number of senior police officers.
According to Julapun, the man had landed from Laos at around 4.40pm the day before. His suspicious behaviour prompted Customs officers to x-ray his luggage, which consisted of two backpacks and two small travel bags.
Officiers noticed the luggage was strangely heavy and decided to search the bags. On doing so, they discovered four packages of cocaine, weighing a total of 5.7 kilos, valued at around 17 million baht.
The Indian national has been charged with importing Category 2 narcotics into the kingdom and having Category 2 drugs in his possession. He has been handed over to the Narcotics Suppression Bureau for legal proceedings against him.
According to the authorities, the passenger told them he was planning to deliver the drugs to India from Laos, not Thailand. However, police doubt the truth of his claim and are investigating his background for any history of criminal activity.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
