Vietnamese 'monk' in 2kg crystal meth drug bust at Phuket Airport

PHUKET: -- Customs officers at Phuket International Airport yesterday (January 1) arrested a 64-year-old Vietnamese man dressed as a monk, on charges of smuggling more than two kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine, or ya ice, with an estimated street value of 8 million baht.

Paisarn Chuanjit, deputy director-general of the Customs Department, said officials at the airport spotted a suspicious-looking man wearing what looked like a monk’s robe.

They asked the man, identified later as Nguyen Van Thiet, to inspect his luggage using an X-ray machine.

They found a total of 2,300 grammes of ya ice in plastic bags wrapped in carbon paper hidden inside the luggage.

Mr Nguyen claimed he was a monk travelling from the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen to Thailand for a pilgrimage. Before he boarded China Southern Airlines flight CZ6093, a Vietnamese woman asked him if he would take some luggage to another Vietnamese person in Phuket. He said he woman told him an unidentified person would meet him at Phuket airport and take him to the luggage’s recipient.

Mr Nguyen did not have a monk identification card and had arrived in Thailand on a tourist visa, Mr Paisarn said.

Mr Nguyen was charged with possessing a category one drug and carrying it through Thailand for sale without permission.


-- Phuket News 2014-01-02

Carrying for sale without permission! Jesus how do you get permission? I could retire before 2015 If I could get THAT permission form signed

How do you get a "monk identification card?" Has anyone ever seen one?

How do you get a "monk identification card?" Has anyone ever seen one?

if you get the monk identification card then its easy to get permission to sell drugs

How do you get a "monk identification card?" Has anyone ever seen one?

Khao San Road?

Phuket Airport customs nab Vietnamese ‘monk’ drug mule
Phuket Gazette


Nguyen Van Thiet, 64, claimed to be a monk on pilgrimage to Phuket, but was carrying 2.3kg of crystal meth. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong

PHUKET: -- Customs officers at Phuket International Airport arrested a Vietnamese man dressed as a monk yesterday for attempting to smuggle more than 2kg of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine) into Thailand.

The drugs had an estimated street value of about 8 million baht.

“Officers arrested Nguyen Van Thiet, 64, at 1:50am after receiving a tip-off from undercover officers,” said Phuket Airport Customs Director Montira Cherdchoo.

“We asked him to put his baggage through the x-ray machine and saw a suspicious object inside. We opened the suitcase to find plastic bags of ya ice wrapped with carbon paper. In total, there were 2.3kg of the drug,” she explained.

Mr Nguyen arrived from Shenzhen on China Southern Airlines Flight CZ6093, which landed in Phuket at 1:20am.

“He claimed to be a monk on pilgrimage to Phuket. He said that before he boarded the plane, a Vietnamese woman asked him to take a suitcase with him to Phuket and hand it to another Vietnamese person when he got there,” Ms Montira explained.

“People were to pick him up from the airport and take him someplace to hand over the suitcase,” she added.

Mr Nguyen, who entered Thailand on a tourist visa, was not carrying any identification documents confirming he was a monk, Ms Montira confirmed.

“He was charged for the possession of a Category 1 narcotic and smuggling it into Thailand with intent to sell,” she added.

Mr Nguyen’s arrest marked the third major drug bust at Phuket Airport within six weeks.

Indian national Aizawl Lalchhuanthangi, 37, was arrested on November 23 after attempting to smuggle 4.5kg of ya ice – valued at about 15mn baht – from Delhi (story here).

On December 9, 52-year-old Romanian Pop Florin was arrested at Phuket Airport for attempting to smuggle in more than 3kg of cocaine stowed in his luggage (story here).

“We will keep looking out for suspicious people and strictly screen foreigners visiting Phuket” Ms Montira told the Phuket Gazette.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2014/Phuket-Airport-customs-nab-Vietnamese-monk-drug-mule-23157.html


-- Phuket Gazette 2014-01-02

He looks like an old man. Giving him the doubt of his age I was just wondering, is it possible that he is a victim?

What if he was telling the truth and since monks are expected to be kind as a person who knows maybe he was truly approached by that Vietnam lady and he is just a victim of circumstance.

What if the story is something like this ( Im just guessing here) Since the lady who was supposed to carry the drugs, she didnt and instead just handed over the drugs to the monk who she found at the check in counter, and she approached the monk to deliver the suitcase with a believable story or explanation. ( though no excuses are good enough, still for the sake of argument0

Her party here in Thailand calls and finds her mobile still ringing, so gets upset and starts to threaten her, and the other party since realized she didnt get onboard and as per her info it was being carried by monk and say the monk was slow crossing the immigration so the party awaiting in HKT airport thought its was a lie and calls the customs and gives the tip.

And then soon after comes the old monk...and before he realizes anything is apprehended and media is called in to take credit....

Simply for quick access to Nirvana,,,

Not that expensive...

They've arrested Pat Morita by mistake.

No wonder these monks always have that serene smile when meditating.....

I call bullshit. Either that or he should have a PhD in stupidity.

How do you get a "monk identification card?" Has anyone ever seen one?

You become a monk and apply for it like I did..

I was a Theravada monk for 15 months.

How do you get a "monk identification card?" Has anyone ever seen one?

You become a monk and apply for it like I did..

I was a Theravada monk for 15 months.

Can you sell yabba then? If so we could both retire quite quickly.......

Fake monk. How old is this story : "some-one asked me to carry a bag to him/her". I guess if some-one may tell a new one, customs will let him go reason of surprise.

A PhD in stupidity. I like the sound of that one. I wonder which of the Thai universities offer such a program. LOL. ... I'd have to guess it's Sasin at Chula. Acceptance into the program probably satisfies Immigrstion's requirements for a student visa. Hmmm I could probably get through such a course of study. ...Just

Strange time for a monk to be travelling at 1.50 am as usually they get up at 4.00am

How do they find customers for that goods?

The seller must be the best sales & marketing man

How do you get a "monk identification card?" Has anyone ever seen one?

You become a monk and apply for it like I did..

I was a Theravada monk for 15 months.

You hair grows quick. :)

I guess nothing is sacred anymore?

For his own sake, I hope he is not a real monk as that would increase his bad karma even more.

He looks like an old man. Giving him the doubt of his age I was just wondering, is it possible that he is a victim?

What if he was telling the truth and since monks are expected to be kind as a person who knows maybe he was truly approached by that Vietnam lady and he is just a victim of circumstance.

What if the story is something like this ( Im just guessing here) Since the lady who was supposed to carry the drugs, she didnt and instead just handed over the drugs to the monk who she found at the check in counter, and she approached the monk to deliver the suitcase with a believable story or explanation. ( though no excuses are good enough, still for the sake of argument0

Her party here in Thailand calls and finds her mobile still ringing, so gets upset and starts to threaten her, and the other party since realized she didnt get onboard and as per her info it was being carried by monk and say the monk was slow crossing the immigration so the party awaiting in HKT airport thought its was a lie and calls the customs and gives the tip.

And then soon after comes the old monk...and before he realizes anything is apprehended and media is called in te

o take credit....

What's old got to do with aNything.If you actually read the report,instead of streching your imagination,you would know he had no monk ID.

the picture only shows one suitcase... with Monk stuff...soo... if the lady gave him a suitcase to carry why does it have all the monk stuff in it as well? unless there is a second suitcase it would like like he put the drugs in his suitcase or someone did and of course if he is that naive to not check and see what he was given to carry...isn't the "someone gave me a package to deliver to someone and I didn't know what it was" one of the most used excuses from smugglers? hmmm - but he sure looks like an innocent 64 yr old monk tho... wow... great casting job on this drug run...excellent try anyway...ouch do we have a Monk Jail here yet? seems like there should be after the story earlier about the hi-so monk that went to the states after stealing? millions of baht and all the luxury cars etc...maybe need a Jail Wat? 5 5 5

Criminal are bad but shield behind religion name are the most unforgivable sins, like blow up innocent people in public places, fake monks asking for donation or buying private jets etc..

Maybe the moral of the story is if you want to travel to Thailand from other SE Asian nations as what appears as a monk, you'd better have an ID card to do so and sort that part out first before you land, or you might get an "icey" reception.

How do you get a "monk identification card?" Has anyone ever seen one?

You can get them on Kao Sun Road in Bangkok, aIong with fake drivers licences, and diplomas