Thai man charged for importing 11 kilograms of heroin into Taiwan

A Thai national has been charged for attempting to import a Category 1 narcotic into Taiwan after being caught with a suitcase containing heroin bricks at Taoyuan International Airport in October last year.

According to the Taoyuan District Prosecutor’s Office, the 47-year-old man, who is not named in the press release, was arrested at Taoyuan International Airport after customs officials alerted by an x-ray examination found a suitcase containing heroin bricks on October 4, 2024.

Investigators found 30 heroin bricks packaged under the brand “Double UO Globe,” with a total weight of 11.133 kilograms. The bricks were wrapped in Thai handmade fabric bags in a crude attempt to conceal them.

Along with the famous brand name, the packaging of the bricks included the words, “Beware of counterfeits,” “100% pure,” and “Smooth Sailing.” However, it was not smooth sailing for the suspect, who was immediately arrested and handed over to the Taoyuan District Prosecutor’s Office to face charges that carry a potential sentence of death or life imprisonment.

According to the police investigation, the suspect was paid 1 million Thai Baht (USD30,000), round-trip tickets, and accommodation expenses, in return for transporting the suitcase and contents to Taiwan. The suspect claimed to have accepted the terms because he had a drug habit, liked to travel, and was living in France, which was quite expensive.

Police estimate the value of the heroin haul to be more than NT$10 million (USD327,000).

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