Bangkok: ONCB arrested three foreign drug dealers at Suvarnabhumi Airport, exporting drugs to Italy and England. ONCB Secretary-General revealed that this success was the result of close coordination between relevant agencies.
According to Thai News Agency, Pol. Lt. Gen. Panurat Lakboon, Secretary-General of the ONCB, spoke about the results of the operation on October 31, 2024. The Office of the Narcotics Control Board, under the Airport Interdiction Task Force (AITF) project, consisting of Customs and the Narcotics Suppression Bureau, investigated suspicious travel behavior of foreigners who used Thailand as a transit route to transport cannabis to destinations in Europe. From monitoring, it was found that the network left Thailand on November 1-2, 2024, via Singapore to Italy and England.
He assigned Mr. Prin Mekanan, Director of the Narcotics Suppression Bureau, ONCB, to coordinate with the Suvarnabhumi Narcotics Suppression Bureau and the Customs Department. They worked under the AITF airport drug int
erception project, intercepting drug smuggling to third countries (Italy, England). Three foreign suspects were arrested, with a total of 89 kilograms of marijuana. The details of the two arrests are as follows:
On November 1, 2024, officers from the Narcotics Suppression Bureau, together with the Suvarnabhumi Narcotics Control Board and the Customs Department, arrested a Singaporean suspect with 19 kilograms of cannabis buds hidden in his luggage while he was preparing to travel to Singapore to change planes to Italy. He was charged with ‘attempting to take controlled herbal plants (cannabis buds) out of the Kingdom without a license and not declaring the goods in accordance with customs laws.’
Later on November 2, 2024, officers from the Narcotics Suppression Bureau, together with the Suvarnabhumi Narcotics Suppression Bureau and the Customs Department, conducted additional searches and arrested two Malaysian suspects scheduled to travel from Bangkok to Singapore before changing planes to London, England.
From searching their luggage, marijuana was found hidden in four pieces of luggage weighing a total of 70 kilograms.
The Secretary-General of the ONCB revealed that the success of this arrest was due to close coordination between relevant agencies and cooperation from all officers committed to intercepting and preventing the smuggling of drugs and illegal items. Airports are key connecting points for international drug trafficking routes, often using Thailand as a transit route to third countries. He emphasized the importance of preventing and intercepting drugs and asked for public cooperation in reporting clues or information that may help prevent drug problems. Suspicious behavior can be reported to the ONCB hotline at 1386, available 24 hours a day.