Six Vietnamese nationals were arrested at a Bangkok house as metropolitan police expanded investigations into Tokyo-bound crystal methamphetamine concealed in tamarind paste.
The arrests were made on Tuesday when police raided a residence in the Khlong Chan area in Bang Kapi district, according to Pol Maj Gen Theeradej Thammasuthee, the deputy Bangkok police chief responsible for drug suppression.
The operation followed the discovery of 2 kilogrammes of crystal meth, commonly known as "ice", after a woman working as a courier to Japan alerted police to a package she said was unusually heavy delivered to her condominium in Bangkok Noi district on July 13.
The parcel contained six jars of tamarind paste each concealing "ice" wrapped in foil. Investigators later traced the drugs to a Vietnamese trafficking network.
On July 16, a Thai man, identified as Somphong Kaewphadee, was apprehended in Pathum Thani after police found the bank account used to pay for couriers and related expenses belonged to him. He was taken into custody at Taling Chan Criminal Court.
The Bangkok residence officers raided on Tuesday was one of the locations deliverymen had picked up packages, Pol Maj Gen Theeradej said.
The suspects arrested there were five women - Ha Thi, 28, Tran Thi, 18, Le Nguyen, 18, Lo Thi, 19 and Luong Le, 18, and a man, Do Nhu, 28.
Officers also found a copy of a passport belonging to another Vietnamese woman, who was reportedly the girlfriend of Mr Somphong. She was identified only as "Mali".
The woman suspects tested positive for drugs, police said, while the man was charged for having drugs in possession.
However, they denied involvement in the trafficking network. The women said they came to Thailand for "entertainment jobs", with Mr Do serving as their "modelling agent". Each got paid about 700 baht per a job.
Police took hold of their electronic devices for further investigation.
The methods found in this case were noted as resembling those used by the gang behind a shipment of heroin found in the possession of a Thai flight attendant in Australia last month.
The seizures have led Thai authorities to reiterate warnings to the public not to accept requests to carry luggage or parcels overseas on behalf of others.
