Heroin-swallowing smuggling ring nabbed after luggage find

By Kornkamon Aksorndech 
The Nation

 

 

 

Six Nepalese men and one Indian national accused of being members of a transnational drug-trafficking syndicate that transported drugs by having people swallow dozens of capsules containing heroin were arrested last week, Immigration Police commander Pol Maj- General Chuchat Thareechat told the press in Bangkok on Monday.

 

The Nepalese suspects were identified as Singha Bir Gongbotamang, 50, Sudarshan Thapa, 50, Prasad Gurung, 51, Suresh Tamang, 36, Abashesh Gurung, 37, and Kare Gurung , 62, while the Indian national was identified as Lal Gurung, 49.

 

 

Chuchat said Gongbotamang was the first to be arrested on June 6 after being found with 15.5 kilograms of heroin in his luggage while waiting to board a plane from Chiang Mai International Airport to Bangkok.

 

The following day, police raided a condominium in the Soi Sukhumvit 77 (On Nut) area of Bangkok’s Suan Luang district and arrested Lal Gurung and Thapa. They also seized 1,450 grams of heroin, a digital scale, and plastic capsules for smugglers to use when swallowing heroin for transportation to a third country. Another search of a nearby apartment on June 8 yielded the remaining four suspects, who were linked to the previously nabbed trio.

 

 

Immigration Police 2 superintendent Pol Colonel Pravit Sirithorn said the men were allegedly hired to swallow heroin capsules – with each expected to ingest at least 50 capsules – to avoid the authority’s detection while travelling through Suvarnabhumi International Airport to Hong Kong.

 

The police investigation found that Gongbotamang paid Bt2 million for the heroin in Myanmar and smuggled it into Thailand. The six men would then swallow capsules containing the heroin before travelling to Hong Kong in exchange for about Bt100,0000 in payment per head.

 

 

Police initially charged the three earlier arrested men with having heroin in their possession with intent to sell, and revoked the visa of the four later-arrested men over prohibited behaviour under the Immigration Act 1979.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30347485

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-6-11

9 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Chuchat said Gongbotamang was the first to be arrested on June 6 after being found with 15.5 kilograms of heroin in his luggage while waiting to board a plane from Chiang Mai International Airport to Bangkok.

15 KG in his luggage?

 

Takes a special kind of stupid to think you'll get away with that.

Just thought of something.....If someone has a belly full of drugs, I doubt they would want to eat their airline meal, so shouldn't cabin crew report anyone not eating their food as a possible suspect to Customs on arrival ?  Might be helpful in trapping them.

5 minutes ago, jaiyen said:

Just thought of something.....If someone has a belly full of drugs, I doubt they would want to eat their airline meal, so shouldn't cabin crew report anyone not eating their food as a possible suspect to Customs on arrival ?  Might be helpful in trapping them.

That would depend on the quality of the airline. On some I've looked at what's being served and just said no thanks, I'm not hungry.

1 minute ago, overherebc said:

That would depend on the quality of the airline. On some I've looked at what's being served and just said no thanks, I'm not hungry.

Of course I realise that but when it comes to drug smuggling anything that helps is good. If it happened then you may be singled out for a Customs inspection, no big deal.

 

1 hour ago, jaiyen said:

Just thought of something.....If someone has a belly full of drugs, I doubt they would want to eat their airline meal, so shouldn't cabin crew report anyone not eating their food as a possible suspect to Customs on arrival ?  Might be helpful in trapping them.

Sorry but this is such a daft idea it's laughable.

 

There are endless reasons why someone may decide against having a meal when flying. Do you seriously imagine the cabin crew keeping track of all the pax who didn't eat, so as to report them to the airport customs authorities at the destination?

 

Come on, use some common sense.

 

 

Should I really be up for a search of my back passage because I chose to have a Whopper before boarding and was therefore too full to dine in flight?

Edited June 12, 20188 yr by Argus Tuft

2 hours ago, jaiyen said:

Just thought of something.....If someone has a belly full of drugs, I doubt they would want to eat their airline meal, so shouldn't cabin crew report anyone not eating their food as a possible suspect to Customs on arrival ?  Might be helpful in trapping them.

do you 'eat' airline food?

i have more respect for my guts and a deep seated desire not to shit myself.

42 minutes ago, Argus Tuft said:

Sorry but this is such a daft idea it's laughable.

 

There are endless reasons why someone may decide against having a meal when flying. Do you seriously imagine the cabin crew keeping track of all the pax who didn't eat, so as to report them to the airport customs authorities at the destination?

 

Come on, use some common sense.

 

 

Should I really be up for a search of my back passage because I chose to have a Whopper before boarding and was therefore too full to dine in flight?

I suppose they could issue the crew with a marker and they could put a big X on the passengers forehead so they would be easier to see in the Imm' queue.

??

Edited June 12, 20188 yr by overherebc

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Gongbotamang paid Bt2 million for the heroin in Myanmar and smuggled it into Thailand. The six men would then swallow capsules containing the heroin before travelling to Hong Kong in exchange for about Bt100,0000 in payment per head.

Paid 2M baht for 600K in return....numbers don't add up???  No wonder these clowns got busted!

9 minutes ago, flyingtlger said:

Paid 2M baht for 600K in return....numbers don't add up???  No wonder these clowns got busted!

The mules get 200k baht each for the delivery to HK. 

I imagine Gonbotamong would receive rather a bigger sum for the supply

3 hours ago, jaiyen said:

Just thought of something.....If someone has a belly full of drugs, I doubt they would want to eat their airline meal, so shouldn't cabin crew report anyone not eating their food as a possible suspect to Customs on arrival ?  Might be helpful in trapping them.

You mean that rubber stuff they charge money for?

16 minutes ago, coulson said:

You mean that rubber stuff they charge money for?

I found the AirAsia Uncle Bens  meal to be tasty.     Around 100THB I believe.     

 

1 hour ago, wombat said:

do you 'eat' airline food?

i have more respect for my guts and a deep seated desire not to shit myself.

 

 

And I was always happy with the EVA meals.      Absolutely no complaints whatsoever.

what a bunch of dumb twits

 

4 hours ago, jaiyen said:

Just thought of something.....If someone has a belly full of drugs, I doubt they would want to eat their airline meal, so shouldn't cabin crew report anyone not eating their food as a possible suspect to Customs on arrival ?  Might be helpful in trapping them.

Not a novel idea. Read it many years ago, maybe in the Post, that flight attendants should be aware that people not taking meals on long distance flights could be an indication of a drug mule. But the idea was not to use that alone but to be aware of other possible indications, sweating, nervousness, appearance etc.

6 hours ago, overherebc said:

I suppose they could issue the crew with a marker and they could put a big X on the passengers forehead so they would be easier to see in the Imm' queue.

??

Agreed overherebc.  And the giant "X" on the forehead is probably easier for them to spot in the queue than a giant "X" on their nether regions, which is where the inspection would end up taking place eventually ?