National —
On June 28th, 2024, Thailand’s Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) held a press conference announcing the arrest of a Russian suspect in Hua Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan, for illegally shipping illicit substances abroad in parcels.
According to the officers, on June 24th, ONCB, along with the Airport Interdiction Task Force (AITF) and other relevant agencies, seized a suspicious parcel from Poland. The parcel, which initially seemed to contain coffee capsules, was examined and found to contain mephedrone, a type one narcotic.
Further investigation led officers to track down the recipient, a Russian national whose name was withheld, in Hua Hin on June 28th. A search of the suspect’s residence uncovered 14 grams of amphetamine, 290 grams of MDMA, 149 Ecstasy tablets, 67 LSD blotters, 506 grams of cocaine, 609 grams of ketamine, and 300 grams of mephedrone.
It was reported that the Russian suspect allegedly received parcels filled with illicit substances from abroad, distributed them to other locations as instructed by the senders, and received payment in digital currency.
The police revealed that new types of illicit substances, including fentanyl, 2CB, happy water, bath salts, and other type one illegal drugs, are being smuggled into Thailand. Officers are continuing to work proactively to intercept and capture those violating Thai law.