Bangkok: Suvarnabhumi Airport and the Customs Department have joined forces in an intensified operation to combat transnational drug trafficking, intensifying efforts to suppress crime in all dimensions. Suvarnabhumi Airport, in collaboration with the Airport Interdiction Task Force (AITF) of the Customs Department, announced the arrest of a Tanzanian passenger for smuggling heroin concealed in luggage while transiting through Thailand to another country. The press conference was attended by Captain Chananat Rodkul, Director of Security at Suvarnabhumi Airport (representing Suvarnabhumi Airport), Police Major General Adis Charoensawat, Commander of the Narcotics Suppression Division 3 (NSD 3), and Police Colonel Thongrachat Riensuwong, Superintendent of Suvarnabhumi Airport Police Station, at the Customs Office, Concourse A, Suvarnabhumi Airport.
According to Thai News Agency, this joint press conference stems from an incident on February 3, 2026, at 3:20 PM, when a special task force from Suvarnabhumi Airport Security (STF-SP) tracked and inspected a suspicious passenger, a transfer student. The passenger, a 46-year-old Tanzanian national, was traveling on Bangkok Airways flight PG942, Luang Prabang – Suvarnabhumi Airport, departing at 1:40 PM, and was scheduled to continue on Thai Airways flight TG321, Suvarnabhumi Airport – Bangladesh, on February 4, 2026. Initial inspection of the passenger’s luggage revealed a quantity of heroin concealed within coffee sachets and food products. The heroin was found in five large coffee sachets and two boxes of electrolyte drinks, weighing a total of 4,815 grams, with an estimated value of 1.44 million baht. The authorities subsequently proceeded with the Immigration Bureau’s procedures to apprehend the suspect and proceed with legal action according to the relevant laws.
Suvarnabhumi Airport places the highest priority on security and the prevention of transnational crime, with state-of-the-art security systems and expert personnel. This arrest reflects the joint commitment of the airport and related agencies to preventing drug trafficking and reinforces international confidence in Thailand’s stringent security measures.