Thailand examined as heroin parcel transit point to Australia: ONCB

Thai anti-narcotics officials say they have identified the overseas origin of the heroin in the case involving flight attendant Mina, while investigators are checking whether a woman known as “Dear” was waiting to receive the parcel in Australia.

Areepak Ngernbamroong, deputy secretary-general and spokesperson of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB), said the network appeared to use people described as “pilots” to move items back and forth before drugs were held temporarily and sent overseas.

The ONCB has obtained parts of the route, information on the group involved and details of the intended recipient in Australia, she said.

The information will be matched with evidence held by Australian authorities.

Areepak said the ONCB now knew the source of both the drugs and the cloth bag in Mina’s case, but could not disclose details because a deeper operation was underway.

She confirmed only that the heroin allegedly carried by Mina came from outside Thailand.

Officials are still tracing the exact route.

Areepak said drug movements had been linked to the Golden Triangle and Kanchanaburi, while Thailand was not a production source for this type of drug.

She said traffickers often used Thai territory as a place to pack items and switch parcels before passing them on.

The ONCB also carried out nationwide searches of drug networks overnight.

The searches found links to networks from the Golden Triangle, with some elements believed to be connected to the flight attendant case and others not.

The results were being compiled for further examination ahead of an afternoon briefing.

Investigators are also looking at a suspicious sedan in Bangkok that may have been used to move the bag.

Areepak said the large number of CCTV cameras in the capital should allow officers to trace the person involved and bring them in for questioning, even if they did not report to authorities voluntarily.

The ONCB has also questioned why Mina trusted a Facebook account named “Rose Rose” and agreed to carry luggage across borders, despite strict rules barring crew from carrying items for other people and the goods having no clearly identified owner.

Areepak said Mina was the best person to explain that point, while Australian authorities were still compiling her statement to send to the ONCB.

Areepak said Mina’s decision to enter the customs declaration channel herself could help her case.

The ONCB viewed the point as one important factor to be used in court proceedings to establish whether she acted intentionally or was deceived, although other elements would still need to be examined carefully.

A wider meeting will be held on Friday (July 3), with the prime minister also attending, to strengthen measures with Australian authorities, close loopholes, and prevent transnational drug syndicates from using Thailand as a transit point.

Kanisorn Papeeranon, director of the Drug Suppression Bureau, said discussions with Australian representatives had produced leads on the intended recipient.

Mina reportedly told Australian authorities she had been contacted by the Facebook user “Rose Rose” to carry goods to a younger contact in Australia.

When Mina arrived in Australia, a person connected to “Rose Rose” was allegedly due to collect the goods at a hotel, he said.

Officials did not yet know how far the hotel was from the airport or whether Mina was supposed to hand over the parcel directly, as she was arrested first.

The person waiting to receive the goods was identified only by the nickname “Dear” and was described as a woman.

Australian authorities have not yet confirmed whether she is Thai or foreign, as they are still examining Mina’s phone to expand the investigation.