Police in Thailand and Japan have identified mostly African drug trafficking networks targeting Thailand and Asia. Authorities are warning the public and particularly young women not to be duped into carrying baggage for third parties.
Thai police and the Office of Narcotics Control Board this week announced the arrest of two Africans believed to be part of an international drugs ring caught importing cocaine into Thailand at Suvarnabhumi Airport. One of them, a 43-year-old Kenyan was found last Wednesday with 68 packages of pure cocaine concealed in his stomach after he was arrested. A Nigerian was later apprehended in what is becoming a highly successful anti-drugs operational at Bangkok’s main airport which has seen 43 drug traffickers arrested since July.
The ongoing crime wave that Thai police and authorities are fighting against foreigners coming to Thailand particularly from Africa was seen again on Wednesday when Thai police arrested a Kenyan national arriving in Suvarnabhumi Airport who was found to be carrying 1 kg of pure cocaine lodged in his stomach.
68 cocaine packages found in Kenyan man’s stomach
The 42-year-old was named as Glenn Chivasello Ooko. He was found to be concealing no less than 68 carefully wrapped packages inside his body when Thai police at the airport X-rayed him. The drugs later had to be retrieved when the African excreted the packages.
Nigerian picked up later by Thai police
His arrest resulted in the arrest later of a Nigerian man, 40-year-old Osita Joseph Ukpa. Both men are believed to be working for a Nigeran drug trafficking network. The media was briefed on the successful Thai police operation by Mr Niyom Termsrisuk who is the secretary-general of the Office of Narcotics Control Board in Thailand which coordinates and drives drug suppression activities and the ongoing, furious war on drugs.
Successful task force responsible for 43 arrested drug runners at Suvarnabhumi since July
It was reported that the arrest of the two Africans came about as the latest result of what is known as the ‘Airport Interdiction Task Force’ which since July has nabbed no less than 43 drug-running suspects. 36 people were smuggling drugs out of Thailand while 7 were bringing banned narcotics into the kingdom.
The haul for the operation so far includes nearly 22kg of crystal methamphetamine, over 24 kg of heroin, 25 kg of cocaine and over 32kg of ketamine as well as over 30,400 ecstasy pills.
Thai authorities working closely with agencies inJapan to fight the drug gangs from Africa
The successful operation involved Thai police working closely on intelligence and cooperating with agencies in Japan including the Japanese police and customs service. Most of those involved in the drugs trade are working for African drug trafficking networks.
Thai women have been jailed abroad and ended up on death row over the gangs which used them as mules
One of the most harrowing aspects of this and it has been like this for over twenty years is the fate of hundreds of young women duped by the gangs into working as drug mules in Asia. These include many Thai women who have ended up serving long sentences in foreign countries and even on death row. It also includes African women.
Thai authorities have again repeated warnings to foreigners and to Thai people to be careful about carrying luggage through airports and never on any occasion or for any reason agree to carry a case or baggage for another party. You could be carrying your life in your hands.
