Thai police have arrested a husband and wife in Loei province as part of an expanding investigation into an alleged transnational drug network linked to a Thai Airways flight attendant arrested in Australia. The case centres on the seizure of approximately 1 kilogram of heroin allegedly concealed in the flight attendant’s luggage at Melbourne Airport.
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The arrests are directly connected to the investigation involving the Thai Airways crew member, identified in Thai reports as Mina, who was detained by Australian police at Melbourne Airport. Following her arrest, Thai authorities broadened their inquiry to identify the person who had allegedly sent the parcel linked to the case.
Police investigators in Loei worked alongside the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) and other police units to trace those suspected of involvement. At about 1pm on Thursday, July 2, investigators from Chiang Khan Police Station visited a house in That subdistrict of Chiang Khan district after learning that Athit, 43, and his wife, Thatsaphon, 42, were linked to an address in Pak Tom subdistrict.
The couple were not found at the property. Officers later discovered they had been hired to tap rubber in Erawan district, prompting ONCB officers and Loei provincial police investigators to continue their search.
Athit was eventually located at Wat Tham Pha Mak Ho in Sri Songkhram subdistrict of Wang Saphung district, where he was working on a temple roof. He was taken to Erawan Police Station for questioning.
During the initial inquiry, police said Athit admitted being paid to send parcels to Bangkok on six occasions for a Lao national. Investigators stated that three parcels had been sent through a parcel service in Chiang Khan, with two dispatched from Ban That in That subdistrict and one from Erawan district.
Police said Athit allegedly received 8,000 baht for each delivery. The most recent parcel was reportedly sent on June 28, 2026.
Officers later detained Thatsaphon, a Lao national and Athit’s wife, after locating a black Mitsubishi Triton pickup with Loei registration parked in a rubber plantation in the Pha Nang-Pha Koeng area of Pha In Plaeng subdistrict in Erawan district. She was taken to Erawan Police Station for questioning.
The Nation reported that during the preliminary inquiry, Thatsaphon denied any involvement in or knowledge of the alleged drug operation. Thai authorities have not announced any further arrests, and the investigation into the suspected transnational narcotics network remains ongoing.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now Nation 3 July 2026