Thai authorities have identified the intended recipient of a heroin shipment linked to the Australian detention of Thai air hostess Mina, with officials confirming the woman is a Thai national known as “Dear” who has lived in Australia for more than 10 years. The Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) said Australia’s Melbourne Magistrates’ Court is scheduled to decide the next stage of Mina’s case on 14 September 2026.

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ONCB spokeswoman Areepak Ngernbamrung said investigators had confirmed Dear is a real person and had repeatedly appeared as the named recipient in previous parcels sent to Australia. Thai authorities have shared evidence with the Australian Federal Police (AFP), which is continuing to investigate the wider Australian network believed to be connected to the shipments.

The investigation forms part of a broader crackdown on a transnational drug trafficking organisation. Thai authorities have split responsibilities between several agencies, with the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) handling organised crime aspects after separate Bangkok cases involving around 26 kilogrammes of drugs and evidence suggesting foreign nationals directed a courier network. Officials said parcels were delivered either through postal services or hand-to-hand exchanges.

Investigators also questioned Mina’s boyfriend, who said the couple opened the delivered bags after they arrived at their condominium on 22 June but found nothing suspicious before packing the luggage for her scheduled flight. Authorities added that airport X-ray screening in Thailand showed only normal orange-coloured blocks and detected no obvious irregularities.

The ONCB said Dear is believed to be only one of several intended recipients in Australia. Officials confirmed she has lived there for more than a decade and has stable employment, although it remains unclear whether she is also now an Australian citizen.

Officials said earlier reports suggesting Mina would receive 8,800 baht for delivering the parcel originated from information recovered by Australian investigators from her mobile phone. Thai investigators said they have instead identified two planned payments of 1,700 baht each but have not confirmed the final agreed amount. They also noted that only a few thousand baht were found in Mina’s bank account.

Authorities believe the parcel’s original sender may have been from Laos, although they stressed the drugs ultimately originated from the Golden Triangle and were transported through northern and northeastern Thailand before distribution. Investigators are also examining the role of the Facebook avatar account “Rose Rose”, which they believe may be linked to a scam operation recruiting airline crew and frequent international travellers to unknowingly transport narcotics.

Matichon reported that the ONCB stressed that Mina has not yet been convicted in Australia’s cross-border drug trafficking case. Officials said they are continuing to gather evidence to assist the Thai embassy and Australian authorities, with the aim of supporting her legal defence if investigators conclude she had no knowledge of the heroin concealed in the luggage.

Picture courtesy of Matichon

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Adapted by ASEAN Now Matichon 7 July 2026

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22 minutes ago, Georgealbert said:

Investigators also questioned Mina’s boyfriend, who said the couple opened the delivered bags after they arrived at their condominium on 22 June but found nothing suspicious before packing the luggage for her scheduled flight

Reports are that only 2 of the 12 tote bags in the shipment contained heroin.