Heroin sewn into silk dresses seized in Phuket parcel investigation
Officers from Division 2 of the Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB 4) uncovered a recorded 6,198 grammes of heroin that was concealed within the linings of 48 silk garments, according to a report submitted to Phuket…
Police in Phuket seized 6,198 grammes of heroin hidden in the linings of 48 Thai silk garments after a parcel investigation that culminated in Wichit on May 2. Officers from Division 2 of the Narcotics Suppression Bureau recorded the seizure at midday at the Phuket Narcotics Suppression Unit office on Sakdidet Rd, according to a report submitted to Phuket Provincial Police.
Parcels traced from Loei to Sakhu
The drugs had been stitched into the inner linings of the dresses and packed in two sacks sent through Flash Express, police said.
The case began on Apr 30 after officers received intelligence about two suspicious parcels believed to contain heroin.
The packages were shipped from Loei Province to a residence in Sakhu, Thalang, where a delivery driver left them outside the house at about 5:30pm. They were not collected.
Residents told police the named recipient, Atthaphol Ngernthaworn, had already left Thailand for Australia on a Jetstar Airways flight.
Deeper search revealed concealed narcotics
An initial inspection found only Thai silk clothing and no visible illegal items.
Police said Mr Atthaphol later contacted officers on Saturday after a Facebook Messenger user identified as “Mongkhonchai Pongyang” allegedly hired him to carry the garments to Australia. After becoming suspicious, he asked police to examine the items more closely.
That search uncovered concealed substances inside the clothing linings, and field testing returned a positive result for heroin. The narcotics and packaging were seized as evidence and transferred to investigators at Wichit Police Station under criminal case number 255/2569.
Police said suspects remain under investigation and officers are seeking charges of possession of a Category 1 narcotic and attempted export of a Category 1 narcotic without permission. Pol Lt Watcharakorn Suwan, deputy investigation inspector at Wichit Police, is leading the case, including forensic DNA collection and laboratory testing of the seized drugs.
Source: https://www.thephuketnews.com/heroin-hidden-in-thai-silk-dresses-seized-in-phuket-parcel-sting-100124.php
