An American national and a Thai woman have been arrested in connection with the smuggling of fentanyl into Thailand, the country’s first arrests involving this “highly dangerous drug”, according to the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB).
ONCB secretary-general Wichai Chaimongkhon said on Thursday that the unnamed suspects were apprehended after they were linked to a parcel mailed from the United States to Bangkok on Monday (September 12).
The American man was arrested when he claimed the parcel, which was found to contain narcotic drugs. Immigration records showed he had travelled to Thailand many times between 2019 and 2022.
Following his capture, police arrested the Thai woman at her condominium in Bangkok’s Ratchathewi district.
Concealed in the parcel were 4 grams of fentanyl, 10 grams of cocaine, 8 grams of ketamine, 9 grams of methamphetamine, and 2 grams of the ecstasy drug, according to Wichai.
He said that this was Thailand’s first arrest involving fentanyl, which he said was 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine.
He said fentanyl has spread in the US and abusers often mix fentanyl with heroin for a stronger effect. Abuse of this narcotic drug has spread to many European countries, according to the ONCB chief.
Fentanyl is a very dangerous narcotic drug. We have to prevent our children from getting involved with it Wichai said, adding that fentanyl overdose was behind many deaths.
Wichai was speaking at a press conference on the arrests. Also present at the event were Mark Snyder, a senior official from the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and police officers from the Thai Narcotics Suppression Bureau.
According to the DEA website, fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50-100 times stronger than morphine. Because of its powerful opioid properties, fentanyl is also diverted for abuse.
Pharmaceutical fentanyl was developed for pain management treatment of cancer patients and applied in a patch on the skin.
Fentanyl is added to heroin to increase its potency or be disguised as highly potent heroin. Many users believe that they are purchasing heroin and actually don’t know that they are purchasing fentanyl, which often results in overdose deaths.
Source: The Nation