Two Nigerians and a Thai woman were arrested for allegedly colluding to transport 5kg of crystal methamphetamine, or ya ice, from Guangzhou, China, to Bangkok.
Speaking at a news briefing Tuesday, Sirinya Sitdhichai, secretary-general of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB), said officers detected empty CCTV cameras filled with crystal meth, worth 15 million baht, in a package sent to a shipping company in Bangkok on Sunday.
Officers later arrested Julapan Saenweang, 35, and a Nigerian man, Muhammad Fahman Tayong, 22, who showed up to pick up the package at 1pm.
The arrest led police to capture another Nigerian man, Philip Artumonye, 41, at an apartment in Watthana district. Mr Artumonyae, who came to Thailand on a tourist visa, was believed to have ordered the drugs.
Mr Sirinya said the probe determined the drugs were bound for Australia, Japan and New Zealand with some destined for Thai buyers.
Mr Sirinya said the package was sent from Guangzhou to Bangkok via Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.
Pol Maj Gen Supakit Srijantaranon, deputy commander of the Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB), said African drug traffickers normally come to Thailand as tourists or language students and recruit Thais to support their illicit activities.