Thailand was shaken by the case of ‘a flight attendant carrying a bag containing drugs’

Thai and Australian investigators said on July 4 that they had identified the person who hired a female flight attendant to transport bags containing heroin to Melbourne for a fee of 8,800 baht (240 USD). Thai authorities are also expanding their investigation into this drug carrying case that shocked public opinion.

A 26-year-old flight attendant named Meena, working for Thai Airways, was arrested on June 25 at Melbourne airport after a routine baggage check with flight crew members. Meena, in turn, said she “carried” 12 bags for her and Australian customs discovered about a kilogram of heroin, worth about 347,000 USD, inside.

Police immediately arrested Meena on charges of conspiracy to transport drugs into Australia and the court refused to grant her bail.

Thai officials said this flight attendant once posted in a group specializing in transporting goods abroad, then contacted a Facebook account named “Rose” and agreed to carry the above bags.

Thai investigators are trying to clarify whether Meena knew these bags contained drugs or not. They are coordinating with Meta Group and the US police to find the person behind the “Rose” account.

Police believe that identifying the account operator could be decisive in clarifying whether Meena was tricked into carrying the bags, or knowingly participated in a transnational drug trafficking network.

The incident raises concerns that international drug trafficking rings are targeting Thai flight attendants to transport banned substances to high-value markets, and raises questions about security measures at the airport.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on July 3 that in the first half of the year there were at least 6 cases of people from Thailand being prosecuted for transporting drugs. “This is a high number and it damages the country’s image,” he said at a meeting of the National Drug Prevention Committee.

After this shocking incident, Thai officials announced they would apply the “trust no one” principle, requiring all pilots, flight attendants and ground staff to undergo the same screening process as regular passengers.

Security agencies will also increase the use of sniffer dogs, additional checks at departure gates for high-risk routes, and tighten background checks and drug testing for employees working at the terminal, cargo areas and restricted areas. Airlines take strict disciplinary measures against employees who receive or carry items for others.

The Thai government affirms that its goal is to close loopholes that drug trafficking rings can exploit, while increasing data sharing between traffic, customs, police and anti-drug agencies.

Thai officials said that drug rings, after collecting goods from neighboring countries with large supplies, often bring them into Thailand and then disguise them in carry-on packages.

According to the Thai Drug Control Office (ONCB), the country’s police intercepted 5 shipments from Bangkok that were preparing to be shipped to Australia and the island of Taiwan during the period June 30-July 1, seizing a total of 24.38 kg of heroin hidden in handicrafts, silk clothes, coffee packages and jackets.