Three Brazilians nabbed at Suvarnabhumi for allegedly smuggling 15.5kg of cocaine
Thailand’s hawk-eyed Customs Department officials detained three Brazilians at Suvarnabhumi Airport on Monday for allegedly smuggling a total of 15.5kg of cocaine with a street value of 46.5 million baht.
“The first batch of cocaine – 9kg – was smuggled in black plastic bags discovered in secret compartments of three suitcases. They belonged to a Brazilian man and a woman travelling from Curitiba. The two were caught at the airport X-ray machine at around 7am on Monday,” Customs Department director-general Patchara Anantasilp said on Tuesday. “The drug has an estimated value of 27 million baht.”
Later, at around 1pm, customs officials arrested a 24-year-old Brazilian man with 6.5kg cocaine hidden in a secret compartment of his suitcase. The drug has an estimated value of 19.5 million baht.
Officials suspect the three could belong to the same gang as the drug had been hidden in a similar manner.
The suspects are now in detention as an investigation is being carried out.
They have initially been charged with smuggling a category 1 narcotics substance into the kingdom and possessing drugs with an intention to sell.
