Phuket drug bust: 4.3kg of meth found in American woman’s luggage

An American woman was arrested at Phuket International Airport on Sunday trying to smuggle 1.29 million baht worth of methamphetamine tablets concealed within bedding sets. The suspect, who was en route to Singapore, was flagged down during a routine risk assessment of passenger profiles. 

Customs director-general Theeraj Athanavanich said that two teams of customs officials played a hand in identifying the suspect: One team was monitoring her, while another inspected her luggage. 

“X-ray screening revealed suspicious dense objects inside a black wheeled suitcase,” he explained. 

A subsequent inspection revealed four bedding sets containing rectangular packages wrapped in multiple layers of brown tape, carbon paper and clear plastic. Chemical tests confirmed that the packages contained crystal methamphetamine or “ice”. The total weight of the drugs, including packaging, was 4.3 kilograms. 

The suspect now faces charges under Thailand’s Narcotics Code and the Customs Act for attempting to export Category 1 narcotics without permission.
 

This seizure is part of Thailand’s efforts to crack down on drug trafficking. Since October last year, the Customs Department has reported 20 successful methamphetamine seizures weighing 1.72 tonnes in total and valued at 515.19 million baht.