AFP joins ONCB probe to trace recipient in Thai flight attendant heroin case

Thai narcotics officials said a Thai flight attendant arrested in Australia told customs officers on arrival that she was carrying 12 bags and agreed to an inspection, before authorities found suspected heroin in some of the luggage.

Police Major Suriya Singhakamol, secretary-general of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board, gave the update after a one-hour meeting with representatives from the Australian Federal Police and Australian Border Force on Wednesday.

The talks were held under the joint special operation known as Taskforce Storm, which has been in place since 2016, and focused on intelligence-sharing and the expansion of the investigation into the suspected transnational drug-smuggling network.

ONCB clarifies declaration issue

Pol Maj Suriya addressed reports that the flight attendant, idenfified as "Mina", had expressed an intention to declare items she was carrying in her luggage.

He said the issue related to the initial customs inspection process in Australia, where crew members are normally questioned on arrival about whether they are carrying items that do not belong to them or anything that must be declared.

In Mina’s case, he said, she told Australian authorities that she was carrying 12 bags and allowed officers to inspect them. This led customs officers to examine the bags and find suspected heroin in part of the luggage.

The substances are still being tested in a laboratory, and there has not yet been a final official result on the exact quantity, he added.

AFP and ABF join intelligence talks

Pol Maj Suriya said the meeting with AFP and ABF officers reviewed investigative information from the initial search and arrest in Australia.

The two sides also exchanged updates on the progress of their investigations, including efforts to establish the origin of the parcel, the source of the drugs and the wider network behind the case.

“We now have all the information jointly, but some details must be withheld for the time being because both sides share the same intention of identifying those responsible for causing harm to both Thailand and Australia,” Pol Maj Suriya said.

Probe targets sender and network

Pol Maj Suriya said the Australian proceedings against Mina were being handled according to Australian legal standards, adding that she had been treated fairly and provided with a lawyer.

He said investigators from both countries had exchanged in-depth information on who sent the parcel and how the network operated.

However, he said some details could not yet be disclosed because the information was being used to expand the investigation in both Thailand and Australia.

Heroin amount still pending lab confirmation

Earlier information shared with Thai authorities indicated that the parcel contained 12 bags, with drugs allegedly concealed in the fabric of only some of them.

Thai officials previously said Australian officers had cut open one bag and found around 900 grammes of suspected drugs, while the total amount was still under verification.

Pol Maj Suriya stressed that official laboratory results were still pending, meaning the exact type, amount and quantity have not yet been formally confirmed.

Taskforce Storm seeks masterminds

The ONCB said the investigation is being coordinated with Australian authorities and other relevant agencies to identify the people who arranged the shipment, sent the parcel and directed the alleged smuggling route.

Officials are also working to determine whether Thailand was used as a transit point for drugs destined for Australia.

Pol Maj Suriya said both sides were committed to tracing the source of the network and bringing the masterminds to justice.