Thai police have seized 14.8 kilograms of heroin hidden in straw machines, intercepted on the way to Taiwan as authorities across the region work desperately to crack down on rampant drug smuggling.
Police, working with Taiwan’s Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau (MJIB) and Thailand’s Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB), found drugs worth £2.2 million hidden on Tuesday inside machines in a warehouse near Bangkok.
They understand that the machines were imported from Laos and were en route to Taiwan, and have pledged to continue tracking the criminal network behind the operations. The ONCB confirmed A Thai national had already been arrested in connection with the investigation.
Authorities also believe the group behind the scheme is the same one that last month attempted to smuggle 320kg of ketamine into Taiwan inside Transformers toy models, according to Taiwan News.
At a news conference held Tuesday to explain the theft, the case was also linked to the discovery of bricks of heroin worth hundreds of millions of dollars found hidden in a coffee machine in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, last year.
Packs of heroin confiscated from a straw machine are displayed at a press conference today
Authorities are beginning to reap the rewards of a cross-border intelligence-sharing project
At a press conference, authorities of the joint operation announce the loot on May 15
Authorities today showed the careful concealment of bricks of heroin, packaged in the outer frame of one of the slush machines.
Pol. Lieutenant General Phanurath Lakboon, Secretary General of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB), saying The drugs were hidden in two machines with medium-sized iron boxes inside.
Removing the outer layer revealed brown packages with a red seal on the packaging.
Police displayed several of the packages to the media while armed guards stood behind.
They revealed that the machines were intercepted at a shipping company in Bangkok on May 14, already prepared to be shipped to Taiwan.
But police are still trying to determine which smuggling group is behind the operation and whether it is linked to similar cases, as suspected.
Thai police estimate that the lot found on Tuesday could be worth up to 100 million baht (around £2.2 million) on the Taiwanese market.
This is between eight and ten times the value it could reach in Thailand, according to local media.
They continue to work with Taiwan authorities to track down possible leads and will now gather evidence to prosecute those involved.
The raid followed a joint operation in April that ended with the seizure of 320kg of ketamine also hidden in a steel Transformers toy and also destined for Taiwan.
Following an arrest, the ONCB worked with the MJIB until May 14, when they received information about another possible shipment, according to local information. media.
Since October last year, authorities have made up to 80 cases of arrests and seizures of drugs, including heroin, cocaine, ketamine and ecstasy, as the region battles growing international drug trafficking.
So far, 74 people have been arrested during the hunt, the thai reported.
The most popular destinations for exports were Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Malaysia and South Korea.
On Friday alone, Thai police seized £2 million worth of methamphetamine in a raid in Nakhon Nayok province after receiving a tip-off about the movement of large quantities of drugs.
Kittharath Punpetch, national police chief, said 40 bags of ‘ice’ were confiscated from a van during the raid, according to reports. The independent.
Punpetch said both his forces and the army were on alert and monitoring gangs across the country.
Officials handle bricks of heroin hidden inside two machines during Tuesday’s conference.
Authorities revealed that the machines were intercepted at a shipping company in Bangkok.
Thailand’s position in the so-called “Golden Triangle” makes it a strategic move for groups seeking to move their shipments to more lucrative markets.
The region has been one of the world’s largest producers of opium since the 1950s and continues to traffic huge quantities of hard drugs.
The Thai government continues to test cross-border policies to share intelligence and clamp down on rampant smuggling.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, which promotes a regional intelligence-gathering network, said Thai and Laotian authorities are now “experiencing some success.”
At today’s conference, ONCB expressed gratitude for the assistance of MJIB and other foreign partners in helping to address the scourge.
