Thai police have seized 14.8 kilos of heroin hidden in guzzling machines, intercepted en route to Taiwan, as authorities across the region work desperately to tackle rampant drug smuggling.
Police, working with Taiwan’s Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau (MJIB) and Thailand’s Narcotics Control Board Office (ONCB), found the drugs worth £2.2 million hidden in machines at a nearby warehouse on Tuesday from Bangkok.
They understand the machines were imported from Laos and were headed to Taiwan, and vowed to continue hunting down 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 group that tried to smuggle 320kg of ketamine into Taiwan in toy Transformers models last month. Taiwanese news.
At a press conference on Tuesday explaining the haul, the case was also linked to the discovery of hundreds of million dollars worth of heroin bricks found hidden in a coffee machine in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, last year.
Seized packets of heroin in a guzzling machine are shown at a press conference today
Authorities are beginning to reap the benefits of a cross-border intelligence-sharing project
At a press conference, the authorities of the joint operation will announce the capture on May 15
Authorities today revealed the careful concealment of the heroin blocks packed into 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), said the drugs were hidden in two machines containing medium-sized iron boxes.
Pulling back the outer shell revealed brown packets with a red stamp on the packaging.
Police had several packages on display for the media, while armed guards stood behind them.
They revealed that the machines were intercepted on May 14 at a shipping company in Bangkok, which was already ready 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 the consignment found on Tuesday in the Taiwanese market could be worth as much as 100 million baht (about £2.2 million).
According to local media, this is eight to ten times the value it could fetch in Thailand.
They continue to work with authorities in Taiwan to pursue possible leads and will now gather evidence to prosecute those involved.
The arrest 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.
After an arrest, the ONCB worked with the MJIB until May 14, when they received information about another possible shipment, per local media.
Since October last year, authorities have made as many as 80 arrests and seized drugs including heroin, cocaine, ketamine and ecstasy, as the region battles widespread international drug trafficking.
As many as 74 people have been arrested during the hunt so far. The Thaiger reported.
The most popular export destinations were Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Malaysia and South Korea.
Just on Friday, Thai police seized £2 million worth of methamphetamine in an arrest in Nakhon Nayok province after a tip-off about the movement of large quantities of drugs.
National police chief Kittharath Punpetch said 40 bags of “ice” were seized from a pick-up truck during the raid. The independent.
Punpetch said both his troops and the army were on alert and monitoring gangs across the country.
Officials handle blocks of heroin hidden in two machines during Tuesday’s conference
Officials revealed that the machines had been intercepted at a shipping company in Bangkok
Thailand’s position in the so-called ‘Golden Triangle’ makes it a strategic gateway for groups looking to move their shipments to more lucrative markets.
The region has been one of the world’s largest opium producers since the 1950s and continues to traffic large quantities of hard drugs.
The Thai government continues to test cross-border policies to share intelligence and tackle rampant smuggling.
The U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, which is itself promoting a regional intelligence-gathering network, said Thai and Lao authorities are now “experiencing some success.”
Today at the conference, the ONCB expressed its gratitude for the assistance of the MJIB and other foreign partners in helping combat the scourge.