South African woman held in 7 kg cocaine bust at Suvarnabhumi Airport

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S African held in coke bust
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- A South African woman has been arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport for allegedly smuggling in 7 kilograms of cocaine.

The haul is worth around Bt24.5 million.

Customs Department director-general Rakop Srisupa-at yesterday identified the suspect as Monica Meere.

She boarded a flight to Bangkok from Johannesburg via Doha. After landing at the Thai airport on Thursday, customs and immigration officials intercepted her in response to a tip.

A search of her luggage allegedly revealed the cocaine inside chocolate boxes.

Meere, 34, has denied knowing that the boxes contained illicit drugs. She said a friend had given the boxes to her to pass to another South African in Thailand.


-- The Nation 2014-04-05

[cornishcarlos]

Should have used pastry boxes !! Schoolgirl error...

[soihok]

Dear oh dear - multiple years in a Thai jail - is it worth it?

[AhFarangJa]

"Did you pack your bag madam"......."yes"....."has anyone else given you any packages"...."no"......A long stay in Thailand awaits, but in a very different resort. I know desperation sometimes leads these people to do this, and sometimes it is pure greed, but they know the consequences of their actions.

Som-Nom-Na

[kurnell]

How do you find 7kg of cocaine in Bangkok? Thought the stuff was made elsewhere

[daveAustin]

Well what did you think they contained dearie?

[AhFarangJa]

How do you find 7kg of cocaine in Bangkok? Thought the stuff was made elsewhere

Ummm....if you read the article carefully she was bringing it into Bangkok from Jo'burg.......the details are in the fine print

[kurnell]

How do you find 7kg of cocaine in Bangkok? Thought the stuff was made elsewhere

Ummm....if you read the article carefully she was bringing it into Bangkok from Jo'burg.......the details are in the fine print

Sweet baby Jesus, I even read it twice to make sure! I need more morning coffee

[soihok]

Locked Up Abroad - at least she has an opportunity to sell her story when she gets out of prison in about 12 years.

[soihok]

Thinking about it, 7 kg of Cocaine is a serious amount. Think she would face the chop?

[shirtless]

atleast she doesnt have to worry about a hotel for the next 20 years,

[issanaus]

atleast she doesnt have to worry about a hotel for the next 20 years,

Or food - the government has a mountain of rice that it needs to get rid of

[irishsmile]

No matter if she is guilty or not it still don't solve the long term problem, the mules being only carriers is sad enough! The ring leaders and drug bosses obviously hand pick these people because of their difficult circumstances and know they are easy dice, of course I know that they know what risks they are taking and I also realise the results and devastation the narcotics they smuggle successfully will have on the users they supply, but the authorities really need to concentrate on the real pushers and leaders of this awful trade and put them were they belong, in the Bangkok Hilton with no parole or early release! I really do feel sorry for the runners who must feel so desperate and hopeless that they choose this way for an easy way to feed their family and "buy" a better life...... So sad!

[AhFarangJa]

How do you find 7kg of cocaine in Bangkok? Thought the stuff was made elsewhere

Ummm....if you read the article carefully she was bringing it into Bangkok from Jo'burg.......the details are in the fine print

Sweet baby Jesus, I even read it twice to make sure! I need more morning coffee

I empathise with you, maybe a stronger brand.........

[Arjay]

7Kilograms=14.4 pounds. A lot of chocolate...

[Som wat]

So who advantages from this 'tip'.

Perhaps someone with an inside connection who can get the coke freed on bail, or who earns a % amount on future sale value?

[Tomtomtom69]

And yet despite these raids Suvarnabhumi generally doesn't x-ray passenger's luggage. Strange that, but in China, Vietnam and even Myanmar all bags are screened upon arrival in the country. If those countries can do it, Thailand can too. I'm sure that if all passenger's luggage was screened upon arrival at Suvarnabhumi, more drug smugglers would be caught.

Interestingly, all luggage is screened when arriving at the land border post of Aranyaprathet in Sa Kaeo province (opposite Poipet in Cambodia) but this does not apply at any other Thai-Cambodian checkpoints or those with Laos or Myanmar. I don't recall any such facilities at the Malaysian borders either.

[shrimpythailand]

very sad - yes that is a lot of chocolate to bring in for "friends" ...and getting a tip as well...I wonder how tight security is at the evidence locker? And yes - don't hear anything about the Big Boss getting arrested here in TL.... just the smugglers and the drivers transporting - "don't know who gave it to me and don't know who I am supposed to deliver it to" seems to be the main answers... oh well...

[kerrysum]

7Kilograms=14.4 pounds. A lot of chocolate...

From South Africa probably, I am a candy maker, usually when I travel, I cook up about 20lbs. of it.... My nieces and nephews love it..... But it is made in America, and home-made..... I guess South Africans have a different recipe.....

[Procrastinator]

Locked Up Abroad - at least she has an opportunity to sell her story when she gets out of prison in about 12 years.

Perhaps. Being from South Africa, as I'm unaware of their laws

Australians are not so fortunate as to have a silver lining to fall back on, in situations such as these. We have laws prohibiting profit from crime, such that if a story is told, the friendly government man confiscates the money

One of our bad bad girls, Ms Corby, was recently released from a Bali jail, after serving several years in a hell hole there, but cannot sell her story, for which she has reportedly been offered a huge sum, as her bail will be revoked and the money will be seized.

Better to be good (or good at it), and stay the hell out of trouble, as freedom, often fought for, is worth far more.

[watcharacters]

Thinking about it, 7 kg of Cocaine is a serious amount. Think she would face the chop?

.

Is that what you'd like to happen?

[cloghead]

How do you find 7kg of cocaine in Bangkok? Thought the stuff was made elsewhere

Ummm....if you read the article carefully she was bringing it into Bangkok from Jo'burg.......the details are in the fine print

Sweet baby Jesus, I even read it twice to make sure! I need more morning coffee

I empathise with you, maybe a stronger brand.........

A lot stronger... try two rails of Peruvian Marching Powder--that'll wake u right up

[JeremyBowskill]

I wonder if they ever follow the story back to whoever they say stitched them up. 99 times out of 100 of course its probably going to be BS, and I guess even the 1 time it would be very hard to prove.

I guess the average chocolate box weighs maybe half a kg even if you were to sat 1 kg, 7 chocolate boxes all the same would be a very strange gift to say the least.

Edited April 5, 2014 by JeremyBowskill

[goldmonky]

atleast she doesnt have to worry about a hotel for the next 20 years, [/quote Or a visa lol. Didshe give her friends name and address to the police?

[Mugg]

OMG give her a break, it was not hers and it was meant for a friend. Can we try to believe her a little

Edited April 5, 2014 by Mugg

[Blindside]

How many boxes is that? 7kg is a LOT of anything. If she was carrying it for someone, would she not be suspious of a couple of chocolate boxes that weigh well more than normal?

Its bad enough that as South Africans we get the 3rd degree at the embassies and borders while getting our Visas and doing our runs, now there is one more nail in the coffin.

[Carl64]

And yet despite these raids Suvarnabhumi generally doesn't x-ray passenger's luggage. Strange that, but in China, Vietnam and even Myanmar all bags are screened upon arrival in the country. If those countries can do it, Thailand can too. I'm sure that if all passenger's luggage was screened upon arrival at Suvarnabhumi, more drug smugglers would be caught.

Interestingly, all luggage is screened when arriving at the land border post of Aranyaprathet in Sa Kaeo province (opposite Poipet in Cambodia) but this does not apply at any other Thai-Cambodian checkpoints or those with Laos or Myanmar. I don't recall any such facilities at the Malaysian borders either.

Don't say that! Bags can be slow enough as it is!

[allanos]

Do any of the posters actually know this lady, or her background, that they say she was in straightened circumstances?

Recently, in South Africa, the wife of a Government Minister has been sentenced for drug smuggling. Government Ministers

in South Africa receive quite a healthy stipend, plus perks. The lady in question was certainly not caught up in this vile trade

because of her difficult circumstances, and was, seemingly, a serial offender.

Do any of these drug "mules" even stop to contemplate the misery that their actions will bring down on countless others.

One is not sure if a death penalty is too extreme in these cases.

[Torrens54]

If convicted and the Death Penalty is imposed, I trust it will be carried out as a warning to other scum-bags who deal in drugs that ruin the lives of children and families around the world.

[bino]

So who advantages from this 'tip'.

Perhaps someone with an inside connection who can get the coke freed on bail, or who earns a % amount on future sale value?

More likely that it benefits the other mule on the same flight, in the queue behind her at customs, who was carrying the serious weight.