The arrest was carried out at about 6pm last Thursday (June 11) by customs officers at Phuket International Airport working with Sakhu Police and the Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB).
Authorities identified the suspect as a 32-year-old South African national. She was detained at the oversized baggage inspection area on the third floor of the airport’s international terminal after officers became suspicious of a blue wheeled suitcase she was checking in for travel.
A search of the luggage uncovered approximately 16kg of heroin hidden inside seven bags of dog and cat food. The drugs, packed as white powder in clear plastic bags wrapped in black tape, had been concealed within the pet food packaging in an apparent attempt to evade detection.
According to the Customs Department, the woman was due to travel from Phuket to Entebbe International Airport in Uganda.
Officials estimated the seized heroin to have a street value of about B48 million in Thailand. Had the drugs reached their intended destination, the value could have exceeded B96mn.
Investigators also seized mobile phones containing foreign SIM cards, which are being examined as part of efforts to identify and track others linked to the smuggling operation.
The arrest was conducted under the direction of Sakhu Police Superintendent Pol Col Salan Santisasanakul, with Deputy Investigation Superintendent Pol Lt Col Rattanawut Nukaeo and members of the station’s investigation team taking part.
The suspect has been charged with attempting to export a Category 1 narcotic (heroin) from the Kingdom without permission and possessing a Category 1 narcotic without permission, offences under Thailand’s Narcotics Code and Customs Act. She was handed over to investigators at Sakhu Police Station for further legal action.
Authorities said the case forms part of ongoing efforts to disrupt transnational drug trafficking networks that use Thailand as a transit point for smuggling narcotics overseas. Criminal groups frequently conceal drugs inside household items and consumer products in attempts to avoid detection, officials noted.
THREE ARRESTED IN PHUKET TOWN RAID
In a separate case, Phuket City Police arrested three men during a drug raid at a rented room in Poonphol Soi 11 on Friday (June 12).
The operation was led by Phuket City Police Superintendent Pol Col Chatree Chukaew and officers from the station’s Investigation Unit acting under a search warrant issued by the Phuket Provincial Court.
Among those arrested were a 46-year-old man from Kalasin, identified only as Kik, who was charged with consuming methamphetamine, and a 51-year-old Phuket resident known as Kai, who was charged with possession of methamphetamine.
A third suspect, 30-year-old Phuket resident ‘Poon’, was allegedly found with 113 methamphetamine pills, seven packets of crystal meth weighing a combined 9.73 grammes, a digital scale and other drug-related items.
He was charged with possessing methamphetamine and crystal methamphetamine for sale and selling Category 1 narcotics without permission.
All three suspects were handed over to investigators at Phuket City Police Station for further legal proceedings.