A 26-year-old woman was arrested after 210 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine were found in packages concealed in a shipment of sofas being sent to Malaysia.
Officers from the Seaport Interdiction Task Force (SITF) detained Supawaddee Iem-urai, of Samut Prakan province, after 210 packages labelled as tea were found hidden in 19 sofas destined for Malaysia, Narcotics Control Board (NCB) secretary-general Wichai Chaimongkol said on Wednesday.
Each package contained one kilogramme of crystal methamphetamine.
The sofas were in 10 wooden crates - 18 in nine smaller crates and the other in a big one - seized at Klong Toey port.
The SITF comprises officers from the NCB, the Narcotics Suppression Bureau and other agencies.
Mr Wichai said the task force earlier learned that someone planned to ship drugs hidden in sofas to Malaysia on Nov 8, using a private logistics firm.
During questioning, Ms Supawadee allegedly admitted she was paid to smuggle the contraband to Malaysia .
The NCB secretary-general said crystal meth was the drug most often found in international parcels. Smugglers also concealed drugs in auto parts, airconditioners and other goods.
Since Jan 1 this year, authorities had seized a variety of drugs in 68 cases, destined for 13 countries.
Previous seizures included 204.14kg of crystal meth, 21.6kg of heroin, 10.02kg of marijuana, 515kg of ketamine, 730gm of cocaine, 990 ecstasy pills and 6,040 meth pills, Mr Wichai said.
Packages of "tea" containing crystal methamphetamine, and the wooden crates containing the sofas used to smuggle it, on display at a media briefing on Wednesday. (Photo: @ONCB.TH Facebook page)