Office of the Nacortics Control Board (ONCB) in Thailand on Wednesday, August 21, announced the arrest of Nigerian and Kenyan nationals.
ONCB Chief Niyom Termsrisuk, who disclosed this today, said the Kenyan was arrested at Suvarnabhumi International Airport this week after it was allegedly discovered he had swallowed 68 capsules of cocaine weighing a 1,200 grams.
The Nigerian national identified as Joseph Ukpa Osita, who allegedly hired him and others to bring drugs into Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries was subsequently taken into custody.
Niyom said Airport Interdiction Task Force officers arrested 43-year-old Glenn Chibasellow Ooko at the airport and then 40-year-old Osita in Bangkok.
He said the task force had arrested 43 people between October 2018 and last month.
Thirty-six were trying to smuggle drugs out and seven to smuggle drugs in. They intercepted 21,685 grams of crystal meth (“ice”), 24,100 grams of heroin, 30,478 ecstasy pills, 25,190 grams of cocaine and 32,214 grams of ketamine at the various international airports.
Niyom warned Thais travelling abroad, especially to Japan, to spurn strangers asking them to carry anything on their behalf. They could be duped into smuggling narcotics.
He said there were cases of Thai travellers being arrested for attempting to smuggle drugs into Japan, most often women lured by the promise of free passage if they carried drugs in their luggage
