CCTV footage from the residence of a Thai Airways flight attendant arrested in Australia for allegedly attempting to smuggle heroin shows an unidentified man delivering a package before her departure, Justice Minister Rutthaphon Naowarat said today.
Investigators from the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) yesterday searched the woman's condominium in Bangkok's Bang Na district, the minister said.
They obtained CCTV footage recorded on the night of June 22 showing a man delivering items to the suspect outside her condominium before she left for Australia.
Investigators have not found any clear irregularities in the suspect's financial transactions.
During the search, the suspect's partner cooperated fully with investigators and said he had learned of the case only after her arrest.
The minister added that Australian authorities have so far allowed the suspect, who is being held at the Dame Phyllis Frost Correctional Centre in Victoria, to communicate only with her mother.
Thai officials are now questioning the mother in Phayao province in an effort to obtain further information.
Rutthaphon stressed that his ministry would ensure the suspect received a fair investigation based on all available evidence and said all evidence collected by Thai authorities would be forwarded to Australian authorities to assist with the prosecution.
He also said the ministry plans to hold talks with Airports of Thailand (AOT) to review and strengthen baggage screening procedures for airline staff and flight crews, with the aim of closing security loopholes and preventing similar incidents in the future.
Earlier, Areepak Ngernbamroong, spokesperson for the ONCB, said initial investigations found that, besides working as a flight attendant, the woman operated a Facebook-based parcel-carrying business, accepting requests to transport goods to and from Thailand.
The suspect regularly carried items such as cosmetics from overseas into Thailand and was also hired to deliver parcels from Thailand to customers abroad.
Investigators believe the suspect was recruited through Facebook by a person who claimed to be sending two fabric bags to a younger brother in Melbourne. Officials believe she was motivated by the attractive payment offered for transporting the luggage.
The heroin, with a street value of more than AU$50,000, was allegedly concealed inside the seams of the bags.
Investigators are examining communications and other evidence to identify the person who hired the suspect and determine whether anyone else was involved.
Meanwhile, Suvarnabhumi Airport explained that its checked baggage X-ray system is primarily designed to detect explosives and explosive materials, while intercepting narcotics relies on intelligence sharing and cooperation among multiple agencies.
The airport confirmed that the crew member's checked baggage had been screened by its outbound baggage X-ray system, which indicated there were no explosives or volatile materials in the bags, allowing them to proceed through the normal baggage handling process and be loaded onto the aircraft.
The ONCB has warned the public not to accept requests to carry luggage or parcels across international borders without knowing their contents, noting that drug trafficking syndicates frequently recruit couriers through such arrangements.
Officials said anyone found carrying narcotics faces severe penalties, including life imprisonment or the death penalty, depending on the laws of the country where the offence is committed.
