National —
On June 24th, 2024, officials from Thailand’s Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) announced the arrest of four Hong Kong nationals at Suvarnabhumi Airport. The suspects were caught with 14 kilograms of heroin concealed in their luggage.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Panurat Lakboon, the Secretary-General of the ONCB, disclosed that the arrests followed a tip-off from Hong Kong police on June 21st, 2024. The Hong Kong authorities alerted the ONCB to monitor a known drug dealer, Mr. Leung Wai Kit, who was traveling to Thailand with an accomplice, Mr. Chun He Chow, also involved in drug smuggling.
Acting on this information, the ONCB coordinated with the Suvarnabhumi Airport Interdiction Task Force (AITF) to surveil the suspects. On June 23rd, at 7:00 PM, Leung, Chun, and two other unidentified individuals arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport. The AITF conducted a search and discovered 40 bars of heroin, weighing a total of 14 kilograms, hidden in their luggage. The four suspects were immediately detained, and legal proceedings have since commenced.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Panurat highlighted the success of the operation as a testament to the effective collaboration between the ONCB and Hong Kong police. He emphasized that this aligns with Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s policy to dismantle transnational drug networks.
Furthermore, Pol. Lt. Gen. Panurat noted that drug smuggling in Thailand continues to be a significant issue, with narcotics often transported illegally via air and sea.
He assured that the ONCB, along with the AITF and the Seaport Interdiction Task Force (SITF), will intensify their efforts to intercept and prevent the trafficking of drugs both within the country and across its borders.
