Five Iranians Arrested At Suvarnabhumi For Smuggling 'Ice' Worth US$1.3mil

[webfact]

Five Iranians jailed for ‘ice’ smuggling $1.3 million in 'ice'

BANGKOK: -- Five Iranian men were arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport in three separate crystal methamphetamine smuggling cases involving a total weight of 12.3 kilogrammes of the drug, valued at Bt43 million (US$1.3 million), according to Thailand's Customs Department.

Customs Department Director-General Somchai Sajjapong told the media Thursday that Mohajeri Mohammadreza, 25, was detained when he failed to pass through a customs checkpoint with 510 grammes of ‘ice’ concealed in his sandals.

The arrest was made after the customs officers noticed that the man behaved suspiciously and his sandals were thicker than usual.

In the meantime, an officer rushed to detain Salimi Zanjani Davoodi, 37, who accompanied Mohammadreza to Thailand, intercepting him at an airport exit.

After searching Mr Davoodi’s sandals, similar to those of Mr Mohammadreza’s, the officers found crystal methamphetamine weighing 510 grammes.

The two Iranians flew from the United Arab Emirates’s capital of Abu Dhabi to Thailand by Etihad Airways.

On Wednesday, Iranian nationals were also arrested with about 8.7 kg of liquid ‘ice.’ Some 2.45 kg of ‘ice’ in a soft drink bottle and total 1.94 kg in two shampoo bottles was found in the rucksack of 26-year-old Ebrahim Jorkesh.

In the rucksack of Seyedahmad Mirbozorgi, 29, customs officers discovered 2.4 kg of ‘ice’ in a soft drink bottle and another 1.94 kg in two shampoo bottles.

The two men travelled from Amman in Jordan to Thailand.

In another case, Majid Asgharpour, 26, also an Iranian national, on August 21 was detained with crystal meth concealed in two hairspray containers and a shampoo bottle with total weights of 2.7 kg.

The detention took place as the officers observed his suspicious behaviour and asked to pass his baggage through an X-ray scanner.

Initially, all five Iranian detainees were charged with possessing and smuggling the drug into Thailand without legal permission and were transferred to narcotics suppression police for further investigation.

The customs department noted that all the five Iranian alleged drug smugglers travelled from theSyrian capital, Damascus, where the trips originated and then made transit at airports in the Middle East. They later flew to Thailand. Thai authorities assumed that it is a new route for crystal meth trafficking. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2010-08-26

[metisdead]

More Iranians caught smug druggling I mean drug smuggling. Are they that desperate to escape from Iran to risk incarceration at the BKK Hilton?

[Boater]

This is getting silly now , half of bkk hilton will be full of iranians soon ! ,

[Jingthing]

It begs the question, if they are catching so many of them and they keep coming, what percentage are smuggling WITHOUT getting caught?

[gotlost]

Kinda makes you wounder about Thailand marketing its self to Iran for tourism.

[elcent]

This has been going on for years, even decades. But only until recently they had someone back them up. It's not always those who ran away from Iran, fact is that this is a strategy from people within the regime to undermine other nations.

Ask the Japanese. They had most troubles with Iranian drug smugglers for years. The same is to say about another country which is in the spotlight also for terrorism or aiding it.

[Jimi007]

Really! It's a bit unbelievable how many Iranians have been caught for the same offense in the past few months. I would think at this point customs would be screening every Iranian that enters the Kingdom... Is this a "holy war" on Thailand?

[Jingthing]

I think its fair to assume they are probably profiling at least some types of Iranian travelers now for special screening. With such rich results, can you really blame them?

[basjke]

Maybe just a misunderstanding with the TAT promoting Thailand to the Iranians.

We have everything you can dream about,except snow and ICE.

[geriatrickid]

What I find shocking is that it's Ramadam. It's a major violation of the holy aspects of the period.

[Lumumba]

Iran would definitely win the next prison world cup when Brazil 2014 comes around.

They also spot very massive beards, the customs should also check the texture of these beards, as they can wax a kilo of ice onto it and just walk through.

[Lumumba]

What I find shocking is that it's Ramadam. It's a major violation of the holy aspects of the period.

If people can blow themselves and a few others up during Ramadan, whats with making a drug run?

The combustibles get virgins and the drug runners only get to learn Thai language free.

[Hakuchi]

What I find shocking is that it's Ramadam. It's a major violation of the holy aspects of the period.

Who knows if they are Muslim, do you?

There are many Jews living in Iran, the largest Jewish population in the Middle East outside of Israel. They don't celebrate Ramadan.

[Jingthing]

What I find shocking is that it's Ramadam. It's a major violation of the holy aspects of the period.

Who knows if they are Muslim, do you?

There are many Jews living in Iran, the largest Jewish population in the Middle East outside of Israel. They don't celebrate Ramadan.

Typical, blame the Jews. Jews are a tiny minority in Iran and are now persecuted there and number only 30 thousand people out of 71 MILION.

After Israel and Turkey, Iran has the third largest Jewish population in the Middle East. However, the numbers, estimated to stand at 150,000 in 1979 when many had important positions in society, have fallen to a nominal 30,000, though in practice it may be far less.

http://www.payvand.com/news/10/may/1135.html Edited August 27, 2010 by Jingthing

[Darkling]

What I find shocking is that it's Ramadam. It's a major violation of the holy aspects of the period.

If people can blow themselves and a few others up during Ramadan, whats with making a drug run?

The combustibles get virgins and the drug runners only get to learn Thai language free.

its 06.38 here in the uk you just put a smile on my face for today.

Thanks for that. Brill sense of humour.

[Hakuchi]

What I find shocking is that it's Ramadam. It's a major violation of the holy aspects of the period.

Who knows if they are Muslim, do you?

There are many Jews living in Iran, the largest Jewish population in the Middle East outside of Israel. They don't celebrate Ramadan.

Typical, blame the Jews. Jews are a tiny minority in Iran and are now persecuted there and number only 30 thousand people out of 71 MILION.

Who is blaming the Jews? 

 Someone wants to frame Muslims for no other reasons than his Islamophobia. Why you don't intervene when others came up with that Ramadan comment? 

 And you a wrong. Jews in Iran aren't that terrible persecuted. Iran isn't Israel, a state that don't fully accept the rights of the people living in that area for generations. True Iran has a problem with Israel, but that isn't an anti-semitic issue or religious motivated. Ask the Jewish people who live in Iran. http://www.nytimes.c...on/23cohen.html

[Jingthing]

From your link --

I know, if many Jews left Iran, it was for a reason. Hostility exists.

I talked to an Iranian Jewish exile once and he told me all about it. Do you think Jews who are staying in Iran are free to tell the entire truth to the western press?

BTW, you are wrong about antisemitism as well. The president of Iran is a virulent antisemite, just read his own words.

Also quite twisted how you praise Iran for its treatment of minorities and bash Israel. Iran officially MURDERS its gay people, in Israel GAY Arabic Palestinian Israeli citizens enjoy civil rights their brothers in other middle eastern countries (including the Palestinian areas) could only DREAM about.

From the leader of the regime you are defending --

The Jews Are "the Filthiest and Greatest of Criminals, Who [Only] Appear to Be Human"

Ahmadinejad

http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/4386.htm

Edited August 27, 2010 by Jingthing

[Hakuchi]

From your link --

I know, if many Jews left Iran, it was for a reason. Hostility exists.

I talked to an Iranian Jewish exile once and he told me all about it. Do you think Jews who are staying in Iran are free to tell the entire truth to the western press?

BTW, you are wrong about antisemitism as well. The president of Iran is a virulent antisemite, just read his own words.

Also quite twisted how you praise Iran for its treatment of minorities and bash Israel. Iran officially MURDERS its gay people, in Israel Arabic Palestinian and GAY Israeli citizens enjoy civil rights their brothers in other middle eastern countries (including the Palestinian areas) could only DREAM about.

From the leader of the regime you are defending

What has it now to do with gay people?

You just want find another lame excuse for your Islamophobia and Iran bashing.

That topic is about drug smuggler. Their religious background, what ever it is, should not be dragged into the discussion.

[Wolfie]

Agreed - lets keep this on topic and cease with the Jew/Gay/Whatever bashing, shall we?

[Jingthing]

Fine but I am not Islamophobic, just objected to bringing Iranian Jews into the blame for this, as they are such an incredibly TINY minority in Iran, it is highly unlikely that many of them are involved in the ice smuggling.

[Hakuchi]

Fine but I am not Islamophobic, just objected to bringing Iranian Jews into the blame for this, as they are such an incredibly TINY minority in Iran, it is highly unlikely that many of them are involved in the ice smuggling.

Nobody blamed Jews for this. That would make not much sense, equally not much sense would it make to point at the people who celebrate Ramadan. Did you objected about that? No. Because you have a bias blind spot. And there is your Islamophobia.

[ratcatcher]

I am not a frequent traveler, but many on this forum can tell me whether there are also fairly stringent luggage checks, especially hand luggage, before departure?

If so, why weren't any of these mules stopped before boarding their flight? Or is security particularly lax in the Middle East?

There was mention of soft drink bottles and shampoo containers used for carrying these chemical drugs.

Just curious.

[Jingthing]

Nobody blamed Jews for this.

No, sir. YOU brought up Iranian Jews. Accept responsibility for your writings.

It is in no way Islamophobic to acknowledge that the Islamic Republicof Iran is a Muslim country. 98 percent of their population is Muslim, that is a fact. Their Jewish population? A TINY FRACTION of one percent, why did you even bring it up if you don't have a bug up your arse about Jews?

Now in respect to this topic which shouldn't indeed be about Jews, if you have further comments about this, please PM me.

Edited August 27, 2010 by Jingthing

[marstop]

My question is this: why would anyone want to take speed and be MORE aware of living in that repressed country?

[Jingthing]

My question is this: why would anyone want to take speed and be MORE aware of living in that repressed country?

An interesting question but my guess is this addictive drug provides an escape for people. I am sure some of our members here have tried it can describe it's specific appeal. At my age now, 100 percent agave tequila is as far out as I want to go.

[OzMick]

My question is this: why would anyone want to take speed and be MORE aware of living in that repressed country?

They were smuggling INTO Thailand, I assume profit was the motive. There is no indication that they USE the drug, they are in possession for sale here.

Re the Ramadan issue: though Iran is a muslim nation, that doesn't make every citizen a believer. It was quite easy for me to renounce Christianity, it is a very different thing in a rabid theocratic muslim state where the religious penalty (if not the civil) is death. If you wish to argue terms, the mullahs DO rule the country though a little more in the background recently, and any state that will condemn you for a consenting shag outside of marriage, I consider rabid.

[Jingthing]

Good point, being a smuggler doesn't mean you are a user. However, it's a fair bet that if the drug is manufactured there, there must also be a local base of users. (Also, of course not everyone there is super religious, but they do have to live under a repressive fundamentalist religion based regime.)

[sirchai]

Really! It's a bit unbelievable how many Iranians have been caught for the same offense in the past few months. I would think at this point customs would be screening every Iranian that enters the Kingdom... Is this a "holy war" on Thailand?

Why can't these weirdies stop that shit? Is it money to make a dirty bomb? I'm just sick and tired of Iranians being caught with such a nasty drug. Seems that their government knows what's going on. It really looks like a holy war to me because they are dealing with the death.

Thais do see Iranians as "Farlangs", and we all know how good this will be for all other's reputation. Get the shit out of here.

Edited August 27, 2010 by sirchai

[Jingthing]

I detest the Iranian government as opposed to the people, oppressors of their own people, virulent antisemites, murderers of gay people, but I don't see any evidence they are involved in drug smuggling into Thailand. If you have evidence, present it, but it seems to me the old private greed/profit motive to the specific smuggling operations is the most likely scenario.

Edited August 27, 2010 by Jingthing

[iko]

Really! It's a bit unbelievable how many Iranians have been caught for the same offense in the past few months. I would think at this point customs would be screening every Iranian that enters the Kingdom... Is this a "holy war" on Thailand?

Why can't these weirdies stop that shit? Is it money to make a dirty bomb? I'm just sick and tired of Iranians being caught with such a nasty drug. Seems that their government knows what's going on. It really looks like a holy war to me because they are dealing with the death.

Thais do see Iranians as "Farlangs", and we all know how good this will be for all other's reputation. Get the shit out of here.

Iranians are seen as แขก and not farangs. Just for the sake of precision....

Edited August 27, 2010 by iko