On Monday, police apprehended a Nigerian suspect, identified only as Obi, along with two Thai women in connection with a significant heroin distribution operation. The authorities confiscated 65.5 kilograms of heroin, valued at around 200 million baht, during the arrests, which were made in various locations in Bangkok.
Pol Col Jetnipat Siriwat, a superintendent with the Crime Suppression Division, announced the arrests on Wednesday, detailing that Obi was taken into custody at a hotel situated on Phatthanakan Road in the Suan Luang district. The two Thai women, Kanyarat and Somporn, were arrested later that day, with Kanyarat captured at an apartment on Navamin Soi 42 in Bung Kum district, and Somporn at the southern bus terminal in Bangkok.
Pol Col Jetnipat stated that the heroin had been smuggled from Laos into Nong Khai province, located in northeastern Thailand. Obi allegedly stored the drugs at the hotel prior to preparing them for distribution to dealers targeting popular tourist areas, including Bangkok, Pattaya, and Phuket.
Somporn revealed that she was en route to Phuket to deliver the heroin to local dealers when law enforcement intercepted her. Both Obi and Somporn indicated that Kanyarat was the source from whom they received the heroin. The drugs were concealed within packages of snacks and pet food. Authorities recovered 49.5 kilograms of heroin from Obi and 16 kilograms from Somporn.
Pol Col Jetnipat explained that a Nigerian syndicate was using romance scams to entice Thai women, subsequently recruiting them to distribute drugs for a fee of 30,000 baht per delivery. He noted that the Nigerian perpetrators were not present in Thailand and that the three individuals arrested did not have prior knowledge of each other.
Source: Bangkok Post
