Thai Airways Flight Attendant Arrested for Heroin Trafficking in Australia; Probe Targets E-commerce Operator 'Rose'

THAI police are chasing an ecommerce operator named “Rose” who hired a Thai Airways International (THAI) flight attendant arrested on charges of heroin trafficking at Melbourne Airport, Australia, last week to take OTOP and other Thai products there, TV Channel 7 said this afternoon (June 30). The Australian Federal Police (AFP) said in a statement on its website that an X-ray and further examinations found white powder concealed in the linings of the flight attendant’s 12 tote bags and the initial test reportedly returned a positive result for over 1 kilogramme of heroin worth 11.4 million baht. Thai police also reached the suspect’s mother in Phayao province who revealed that her daughter sends her 10,000 baht a month and is paying off student loans as the family is not wealthy. Pol. Col. Suriya Singhakamol, secretary-general of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board, said after receiving information from the AFP about the arrest of the unidentified Thai airline crew member in Melbourne, a team quickly searched the suspect’s condominium in Thailand. CCTV footage showed a delivery rider bringing a package to the condo on June 22. As the flight attendant had not yet returned to her residence, he left the package at the lobby. The suspect later picked up the box and took it to her room. However, a search of the unit did not reveal any additional drugs or illegal items. Subsequently, police questioned the suspect’s boyfriend who cooperated fully, but the information he provided was insufficient to identify the sender of the package. He did mention that when the flight attendant arrived in Australia and he was unable to contact her, he called a friend of hers, which became the starting point of this case. A joint investigation with AFP police revealed that the suspect had reached an avatar account named “Rose” at a social media group for personal shopping whose operator had posted a request for someone travelling to Australia to take approximately 20 kilogrammes of OTOP and other Thai products there. Investigation revealed that the flight attendant and her boyfriend spoke to the operator to ascertain whether the account was a fake. However this person insisted it was a regularly operated account and both parties then agreed for her to take Thai products to Australia for 8,800 baht. Authorities are currently investigating whether this rate is consistent with typical personal shopping services. This avatar account has now been deactivated and authorities are tracking down the operator to identify any accomplices. Police also inspected the suspect’s residence in Phayao province and questioned her mother. Initial findings indicate the suspect last returned home in April and sends 10,000 baht monthly to her family to pay for a car registered in her mother’s name, with monthly payment being approximately 8,000 baht. The mother also said that her daughter has outstanding student loan repayment as their income is not high being only of average means, working in farming. Pol. Col. Suriya added that the Thai embassy in Australia is providing the suspect with her basic rights as a Thai citizen, while the case is currently under Australian judicial process. The suspect has not been granted bail, and further details regarding the case are expected within approximately four weeks. Thai investigations continue through information exchange with Australian police to track down other individuals involved in the network behind this drug trafficking in this case.