Pakistani Muhammad Shoaib, 22, arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport after swallowing 20 packages of heroin – Photo by Sutthiwit Chayutworakan
BANGKOK – Pakistani Muhammad Shoaib, 22, has been arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport after swallowing 20 packages of heroin worth about 1.2 million baht in an alleged attempt to smuggle them into Thailand.
Shoaib, 22, was taken to the airport’s customs office on Sunday after an x-ray showed suspicious items in his stomach. He was forced to excrete what he had swallowed and Customs Officials found white powder substance wrapped in 20 plastic bags. The substance, weighing 380 grams, was later identified as heroin.
Thada Choomchaiyo, director of Investigation and Suppression Division 3, told the Bangkok Post officials spotted Mr Shoaib, who looked suspicious, as he was passing through customs clearance and asked if they could search him.
He was arrested after disembarking from Thai Airways International flight TG 342 from Karachi at 8.20am.
Mr Shoaib allegedly confessed to being hired by a Pakistani friend for 20,000 baht to smuggle the drug into Thailand. He said he had previously trafficked heroin into Thailand seven times — all by flying to neighboring countries and traveling by bus to Bangkok.