BANGKOK, Feb 16 — Two Iranian men were detained at Thailand’s main international airport for smuggling crystal methamphetamine, known as ‘ice,’ valued at Bt3.2 million (nearly US$107,000), according to the Thai Customs Department
Mohammad Khojasteh Khatonabad, 19, and Haghighatmirashrafi Hamed, 22, were arrested with 905 grammes of crystal meth late Wednesday evening on arrival at Suvarnabhumi Airport, Customs Director-General Somchai Pulsawas told a news briefing on Thursday.
Flying to Thailand from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, the two Iranians behaved suspiciously while disembarking.
Customs officers asked them to submit to an X-ray inspection, which indicated suspicious objects in their stomachs.
Thai customs officers retrieved 65 packages of crystal meth weighing 475 grammes from Mr Khatonabad and 58 packages of ice weighing 430 grammes from Mr Hamed’s stomach.
Initially, the suspects were charged with possessing and smuggling illicit drugs without permits and were transferred to the Narcotics Suppression Bureau for further investigation.
Since Oct 1, 2011, Thailand’s Customs Department has made arrests in 12 drug smuggling cases at Suvarnabhumi Airport, valued at over Bt65.7 million (some $2.2 million).
Six cases involved ‘ice’ smuggling totalling 8,740 grammes, valued at more than Bt31 million (approximately $1 million).
