A female Thai police captain is under formal investigation after being linked to a case involving cannabis hidden inside 30 cans of millet carried from Thailand to China earlier this year. Although Chinese prosecutors decided not to press charges after concluding she was an unwitting victim of a smuggling network, Thai police have confirmed disciplinary and criminal investigations will continue if any wrongdoing is found. Get today's headlines by email The case dates back to early January 2026, when the officer accepted payment to carry 30 cans of millet from Suvarnabhumi Airport to China while travelling as a tourist. Chinese authorities arrested her after discovering cannabis concealed inside the cans and detained her for around two months during their investigation. Chinese prosecutors later dropped the case after evidence showed the officer had been deceived by a courier network and was unaware the cannabis had been hidden in the goods she was carrying. She was deported to Thailand in March. On 8 July 2026, Police Lieutenant General Trairong Phiwphan, spokesperson for the Royal Thai Police, said the Narcotics Suppression Bureau and the officer’s parent agency were continuing separate investigations. Police said the officer had accepted the courier job through a social media page offering paid luggage carrying services before travelling to China. The spokesperson said the case highlighted how transnational drug trafficking networks had adapted their methods by recruiting unsuspecting couriers through social media and online contacts. He warned the public not to accept requests or payment to transport items for other people overseas, even for small amounts of money, as they could unknowingly become involved in criminal activity and face prosecution under the destination country’s laws. Asked whether investigators had established if the officer knew drugs were concealed in the shipment, Pol Lt Gen Trairong said it was too early to reach any conclusions and that investigators were awaiting the results of a detailed inquiry. He noted that criminal proceedings abroad remain subject to the laws of the country where the alleged offence occurred. The Royal Thai Police confirmed the officer’s parent agency had already launched a disciplinary fact-finding investigation under police regulations. Authorities stressed that if any police officer is found to have committed an offence, action will be taken under both disciplinary and criminal law, in line with the policy of the national police chief that officers who perform well will be recognised, while those who break the law will face decisive punishment. ThaiRath reported that police also said officers are expected to uphold stricter standards of discipline than ordinary civil servants. Additional reports confirmed that Police General Hospital has established a fact-finding committee, while the Narcotics Suppression Bureau continues expanding its investigation into the origin of the cannabis. 9 July 2026
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