South African woman detained with heroin at Phuket airport

On June 11, customs and police officers detained a 32-year-old South African woman named Buhle at Phuket International Airport. The detention occurred around 18:00 on the third floor of the international passenger terminal in the Mai Khao area, Thalang. Police discovered suspicious items inside her blue rolling suitcase. Upon a more thorough search, 16 kilograms of heroin were found, packed in transparent plastic bags and wrapped with black tape. The drugs were inside seven packages of various brands of pet food. The total seized property, including the drugs and packaging, weighed approximately 16 kilograms. Police also confiscated one Samsung mobile phone and a foreign SIM card as physical evidence. After the detention, the woman, along with the seized items, was taken to the Phuket airport customs office for further investigation. Police charged the woman with attempting to illegally export heroin from Thailand and possessing a Class 1 narcotic. She is also suspected under articles of the Customs Control Act of 2017 and other related laws. Police officers noted that the detention is part of enhanced measures to prevent Thailand from being used as a route for moving drugs abroad. Similar cases have been recorded earlier this year.