The Central Investigation Bureau, in collaboration with the Immigration Bureau and the Anti-Narcotics Centre of the Royal Thai Police, arrested a Nigerian gang for smuggling more than 65 kilograms of heroin hidden in snack bags and pet food in Bangkok, Thailand.
Three suspects, identified as Ms Kanyarat, Mr Chiadikaobi and Ms Somporn, were apprehended at different locations across the city on May 18.
The suspects face charges of jointly possessing Category 1 narcotics for sale without permission, for commercial purposes, and impacting state security and public safety.
Police officers initially received information from the Nong Khai Immigration Police that a network of foreign traffickers was smuggling heroin into the country for distribution in major tourist areas, including Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket.
A search at a Bangkok hotel led to the arrest of Mr Chiadikaobi after officers discovered 49.5 kilograms of heroin concealed in snack bags to evade detection.
A subsequent investigation led to the apprehension of Ms Somporn at the Bangkok Southern Bus Terminal, where officers seized an additional 16 kilograms of heroin.
Both Mr Chiadikaobi and Ms Somporn confessed that they obtained the narcotics from Ms Kanyarat to distribute to smaller dealers in various tourist destinations.
Ms Somporn stated she was on her way to deliver the heroin to a small-scale dealer in Phuket when she was intercepted by the police.
The seized drugs would have been worth approximately 200 million baht if they had reached the market, where the selling price is 3,500 baht per gram.
Under the Narcotics Act, the three individuals face penalties ranging from five years in prison to life imprisonment, heavy fines or the death penalty.
The Central Investigation Bureau is warning residents to be wary of foreigners who befriend them online and ask them to transport packages, as they could unknowingly become tools for transnational drug trafficking rings.
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