BANGKOK (Reuters) – Authorities in Thailand seized nearly $ 30 million in methamphetamine crystals hidden in punching bags bound for Australia, official sources said on Thursday.
More than 193 kilograms of drugs were hidden in 15 different punch balloons, customs forces of the two countries said at a press conference in Bangkok.
The discovery followed suspicions by Thai customs about the interest in exporting this sports equipment not particularly in demand in Australia.
During the filmed inspection, customs first cut out a long cardboard box, then the red outer layer of a punching bag to discover the drugs hidden in the lining.
“Australia consumes around 11 tonnes of methamphetamine a year,” Australian Border Police Acting Superintendent Joel Carruthers said.
“So there is a market, and being able to intercept it abroad in a country like Thailand is a godsend,” he continued.
According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, methamphetamine production in the Golden Triangle of Southeast Asia – the border region between Thailand, Laos and Burma – has increased sharply in recent times. years.
(Report Vorasit Satienlerk and Jiraporn Kuhakan; written by John Geddie, French version Dina Kartit, edited by Blandine Hénault)
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