The half a tonne of methamphetamine intercepted by New Zealand's authorities, reported to be the largest ever seizure of the drug at that country's border, is thought to have originated from the Golden Triangle, says the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB).
The Golden Triangle is an area where the borders of Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar meet at the confluence of the Ruak and Mekong rivers.
In this case, Thailand was used as a transit point for the meth hidden in packages inside a motor which was delivered on board a ship that left Bangkok Port for New Zealand via Singapore, said ONCB secretary-general Niyom Termsrisuk.
The smugglers opted to place the drugs inside a motors's many removable parts. The typically heavy weight of the motors helped disguise the drugs hidden inside.
At 469 kilogrammes and valued at US$153 million (about 4.7 billion baht), it is the largest ever seizure of meth at New Zealand's border. The meth was hidden in packages inside motors.
Customs Investigations manager Bruce Berry said yesterday they believe a sophisticated Canadian drug cartel was behind the shipment. He said they have been tracking two Canadians for several months who they believe were sent separately to New Zealand to receive and sell the drugs.
Two Canadian men in their mid-20s and one New Zealand man have been arrested and charged with importing and possessing methamphetamine. They each face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment if convicted.
Mr Niyom said the New Zealand authorities have worked with anti-narcotics agencies as well as the Customs Department in Thailand. Much intelligence has been exchanged between the two countries leading to the arrest of the suspects.
He added Thai law enforcement agencies have launched strict measures to suppress drug smuggling networks via sea and air under the Asean Seaport Interdiction Task Force (ASITF) and the Asean Interdiction Task Force (AAITF) carried out in collaboration with Asean member countries and beyond.