Bangkok, Thailand – Two Brazilian men were arrested in Bangkok after they collected a package containing one kilogram of cocaine that had been shipped from Portugal, authorities said.
Surveillance led to arrest
The Office for Narcotics Control (ONCB) announced the arrests on October 23, saying investigators had been monitoring the suspicious parcel since October 20. ONCB Secretary Suriya Singhakamol said officers waited until the recipients came to collect the shipment before moving in.
On October 22 the two men picked up the package in the Bang Na area and were immediately detained by waiting agents. A subsequent search of their residence uncovered packaging materials and other paraphernalia associated with drug distribution, but no additional narcotics were found.
Seizure and value
The seized cocaine was assessed to have a street value between 3 million and 3.5 million baht, roughly 75,000 to 87,500 euros. Suriya described the operation as requiring “patience, precision and close cooperation between several agencies.” He said the successful sting sent a clear message that “Thailand will not be used as a transit point or storage for illegal drugs.”
Related enforcement actions
Authorities said the arrest was one of several recent actions against foreign-linked drug activity in Bangkok. On October 18 police raided a nightclub in the Ratchaprarop area and arrested a Nigerian national suspected of supplying drugs to partygoers; his Thai wife, alleged to be involved, remained at large. Tests on 22 people at the venue — 11 Thais and 11 foreigners — returned positive results for drug use.
Earlier in October, police also detained a British man at a Bangkok hotel after finding one kilogram of crystal methamphetamine in a pink suitcase. He later admitted he had been hired by a compatriot for 20,000 baht to distribute the drugs to customers in the city.
Authorities vow continued action
ONCB and partner agencies said they would continue coordinated operations and surveillance to protect Thai society from international drug smuggling and distribution. The agency framed the recent arrests as evidence of the authorities’ determination to disrupt transnational trafficking networks.
Source: The Thaiger