Police from the Crime Suppression Division and immigration officers in Nong Khai have arrested a Nigerian man and two Thai women linked to a drug trafficking network accused of smuggling 65.5 kilogrammes of heroin into Thailand from Laos. Officers said the drugs were intended for distribution in Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket, with an estimated street value of more than 200 million baht.
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The arrests were announced on 20 May at the Crime Suppression Division headquarters by Central Investigation Bureau commissioner Lt Gen Natsakorn Chaoanasai, together with senior officers including Maj Gen Phatthasak Bubphasuwan and Pol Col Jetniphat Siriwat. Police identified the Nigerian suspect as Obi, while the two Thai suspects were named as Kanlayarat and Somporn.
Investigators said the operation began after Nong Khai immigration police warned that members of a Nigerian drug network had entered Bangkok and were working with Thai accomplices. Officers alleged the group smuggled heroin across the Lao border before storing it in short-term hotel accommodation used as a distribution hub.
Police raided the hotel and arrested Obi with 49.5 kilogrammes of heroin hidden inside snack and pet food packaging. Officers later expanded the investigation and arrested Somporn at Bangkok Southern Bus Terminal with a further 16 kilogrammes of heroin allegedly destined for Phuket.
According to police, Obi told investigators he had received the heroin from Kanlayarat before supplying wholesale quantities to dealers, including other Nigerians and foreign nationals operating in tourist destinations. Somporn reportedly gave a similar statement, saying she had collected the heroin from Kanlayarat and was transporting it to dealers in Phuket when she was intercepted.
Pictures courtesy of Daily News
Pol Col Jetniphat said the network was part of a larger Nigerian criminal organisation that allegedly used romance scams to recruit Thai women into transporting narcotics. He said women were manipulated into carrying drugs after being deceived into relationships, with payments of 30,000 baht offered for deliveries.
Police said the alleged ringleader, believed to be a Nigerian national operating from overseas, remains at large. Investigators added that the three suspects arrested did not know one another personally and had been directed separately by the organisation.
The case comes amid wider efforts by Thai authorities to tackle transnational crime and tighten immigration controls. Lt Gen Natsakorn said police had continued working with foreign embassies to screen visitors and arrest foreign nationals involved in criminal activity in Thailand.
The Daily News reported that authorities said the investigation is continuing as officers attempt to identify additional members of the trafficking network and trace the overseas organisers behind the operation.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now Dailynews 21 May 2026