Three Hong Kong citizens were arrested at Suvarnabhumi airport yesterday for allegedly carrying 12.3kg of cocaine into the country, authorities say.
They were identified as Fong Yee Ting, 19, Tung Wing Yan, 22, and Yau Kit Long, 24.
They were searched at the airport after the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) were told by Hong Kong authorities that traffickers were carrying drugs brought from Brazil into Thailand, according to a news briefing on the arrest.
ONCB secretary-general Sirinya Sitdhichai, Customs Department director-general Kulis Sombatsiri and Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB) chief Sommai Kongwisaisuk attended the briefing.
The drugs were intended to later be transported to Hong Kong, the officials said.
A search of the luggage belonging to the suspects found the cocaine in secret pockets, Mr Sirinya said. The trio are charged with bringing a Type 2 drug into the country without a permit and conspiring to possess the drugs with intent to sell.
"Upon questioning the three suspects, [we found that] they were hired by a Hong Kong woman, whose name is only known as 'Ming'. They were hired for 8,000 Hong Kong dollars each, or around 40,000 baht, to carry the drug from Brazil to Thailand," said Mr Sirinya said.
The suspects told officers they were due to deliver the drug to Ming at a hotel in the Sukhumvit area, he said.
Officers believe that Ming was tipped off as she was not at the hotel and has now fled to Hong Kong.