Vietnamese gang linked to Tokyo-bound ‘ice’ in tamarind paste

Thai police are tracking three Vietnamese drug trafficking suspects believed to be using Thailand as a base after a hired courier alerted police, leading to the discovery of crystal methamphetamine hidden in jars of tamarind paste intended for Tokyo.

Four arrest warrants have been issued so far, including one for a 50-year-old Thai man, identified as Somphong Kaewphadee, accused of allowing his bank account to be used by the gang. He was arrested in Pathum Thani on Thursday.

The suspect, a native of Sakhon Nakhon, was questioned before being taken into custody at Taling Chan Criminal Court on Saturday after he was denied bail, said Pol Col Athiwat Nutchthaworn, chief of the Bang Yi Khan police station.

The investigation began after a woman who worked as a courier to Japan as a side job asked police on Monday to inspect a package delivered to her condominium in Bangkok Noi district.

The woman, who was not identified, reportedly became suspicious because the package was unusually heavy.

A subsequent inspection found six jars of tamarind paste concealing packages totalling 2 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine, commonly known as “ice”.

Bangkok police chief Pol Lt Gen Sayam Boonsom on Friday talks to a 50-year-old Thai man who allegedly allowed his bank account to be used by a drug trafficking gang. (Photo: supplied/Wassayos Ngamkham)

The expanded investigation found the drugs belonged to a Vietnamese network, with its ringleader believed to be based in Hanoi, according to Bangkok police chief Pol Lt Gen Sayam Boonsom.

The methods used by the group are very similar to those used by the gang behind a shipment of heroin found in the possession of a Thai flight attendant in Australia last month.

The Vietnamese-led operation was directed through avatar Facebook accounts. Delivery riders were hired through the platform to collect packages containing drugs from residences used by the Vietnamese suspects in Thailand and deliver them to Thai couriers travelling to Japan.

Investigators found that the bank account used to transfer payments to couriers and cover related expenses belonged to Mr Somphong, who has denied the allegations.

Vietnamese nationals allegedly took turns withdrawing between 20,000 and 50,000 baht from the account before returning to Vietnam immediately after each withdrawal to avoid arrest.

Mr Somphong also has a Vietnamese girlfriend who works at a restaurant in Nakhon Pathom province. She has not been charged, although investigators are continuing to examine her possible involvement.

Of the three Vietnamese suspects, one has already left Thailand, Pol Lt Gen Sayam said. Immigration police have been instructed to closely monitor the movements of the remaining two.

Investigators said the group frequently changed its smuggling methods, including concealing drugs in food products and seasoning packets by cutting open the packaging and resealing it.

Couriers were paid 450 baht per kilogramme, a standard rate for carrying luggage, police said. The drugs were destined for Tokyo, where Thai nationals allegedly received the packages from the couriers and passed them on through multiple intermediaries.

Thai police have coordinated with Japanese authorities as they work to determine the source of the drugs.

Officers are also tracing the group’s financial transactions, believing the network may have been involved in other criminal activities in addition to drug trafficking.

Different roles

According to investigators, the three remaining suspects each played distinct roles in the operation, including recruiting couriers, arranging package collection and delivery through motorcycle riders and transferring money into the mule account.

No details were available about how many couriers had successfully transported packages previously, or whether they knew they were carrying illegal drugs.

The methods used by the operation are very similar to those used by the gang behind a shipment of heroin found in the possession of a Thai flight attendant in Melbourne last month.

Thai authorities have reiterated warnings to the public not to accept requests to carry luggage or parcels overseas on behalf of others, following the discovery of 1.8kg of heroin hidden inside tote bags carried by a 26-year-old Thai Airways flight attendant in Melbourne.

The suspect, identified only as Meena, is in custody and could face up to 25 years in prison for drug smuggling. Her first court hearing is scheduled for Sept 14.