87 Kilograms of Meth Concealed in Luo Han Guo Tea Packaging: 3 Malaysian Men Arrested at Hat Yai Train Station

Three Malaysian men are suspected of carrying 87 kilograms of methamphetamine disguised in Luo Han Guo tea packaging. The drugs were hidden in suitcases and backpacks in an attempt to transport them back to Malaysia but were intercepted and arrested by police at a train station in Hat Yai, southern Thailand.

The three men stated that each would receive a reward of 8,000 ringgit upon completing the drug trafficking task; currently, they have been charged with drug trafficking, and police are tracing the masterminds behind the transnational drug trafficking syndicate.

Thai police stated that on July 31, a joint anti-drug operation was carried out involving the Hat Yai District anti-drug unit, railway police, the Central Investigation Bureau, the Anti-Human Trafficking Bureau, tourist police, narcotics police, and the Ninth Regional Narcotics Control Board, among several other law enforcement bodies.

During the inspection of a train traveling from Bangkok to Hat Yai at the city’s train station, officers found three Malaysian men acting suspiciously. After a search, they discovered 87 kilograms of methamphetamine in three wheeled suitcases and three backpacks.

The police discovered that the meth was all sealed and disguised with Luo Han Guo tea packaging bags, attempting to mislead law enforcement, and then concealed within travelers’ luggage in preparation for cross-border smuggling to Malaysia, where a local drug ring would take delivery.

During preliminary questioning, the three suspects admitted to being hired to transport the drugs, and said each would receive an 8,000 ringgit reward upon successful delivery.

The police subsequently handed the suspects and the drug evidence over to the Hat Yai District investigators, charging them under Thai drug laws for illegal possession and intent to sell a Category 1 drug, drug trafficking for commercial purposes, as well as offenses endangering national and public security.

The police stated that the investigation has been expanded to trace the mastermind and uncover the transnational drug trafficking network operating between Malaysia and Thailand.