Heroin haul intercepted en route to Taiwan

Customs officials say they have intercepted over 7 kilogrammes of heroin bound for Taiwan as part of a joint programme with international logistics agencies.

The confiscation occurred on Wednesday when officials found a large consignment containing a water heater and four cases of dried durian originating from Cambodia and addressed to Taiwan, Patchara Anuntasilpa, director-general of the Customs Department, said.

The water heater was concealing 10 bricks of heroin weighing 3.7kg. The packages bore a logo of two lions standing on a globe.

Another 3.5kg of heroin were found in the boxes of dried durian.

Altogether, 7.2kg of the drug, estimated to be worth 21.6 million baht, were seized. The shipment is being held by police at Suvarnabhumi Airport.

The inspections were carried out by the Airport Interdiction Task Force, comprising the Customs Department, the Narcotics Control Board, the Narcotics Suppression Bureau and the Armed Forces Security Centre.

Sections 244, 252, 166 and 167 of the customs code were violated by the sender, Mr Patchara said.

Thai authorities would coordinate with their counterparts in Cambodia and the customs office and Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau of Taiwan in the probe, he said.