South African woman caught with heroin at Phuket airport

Customs officers, Sakhu police, and narcotics suppression police arrested a South African woman at Phuket International Airport on June 11 after allegedly finding 16 kilogrammes of heroin hidden inside her suitcase. The accused, identified as 32 year old Buhle, was arrested at about 6pm at the oversized baggage drop-off point on the third floor of the international passenger terminal in Mai Khao subdistrict, Thalang district, Phuket. Police said they found irregularities inside her blue wheeled suitcase. A detailed search allegedly uncovered white powder heroin packed in clear plastic bags and wrapped in black tape. The packages were hidden inside seven bags of dog and cat food of various brands. The seized narcotics and packaging weighed about 16 kilogrammes in total. Officers also seized one Samsung mobile phone and a foreign SIM card as evidence. After the arrest, officers took the accused and the seized items to the Customs Office at Phuket International Airport’s cargo building for examination and processing. The accused was then handed over to investigators at Sakhu Police Station for legal proceedings. MGR Online reported that police charged her with attempting to smuggle heroin out of Thailand and possessing a Category 1 narcotic, heroin. She also faces charges under the Customs Act B.E. 2560, or 2017, and other related laws. Officers said the arrest was part of stricter measures to prevent transnational drug trafficking networks from using Thailand as a route to move narcotics overseas. Similarly, earlier this year, police arrested a Bangladeshi woman at Phuket International Airport after she was found with cocaine and counterfeit documents while preparing to board a flight back to Bangladesh. This arrest highlights the importance of vigilance at Phuket International Airport in preventing the smuggling of narcotics. The airport’s role in preventing transnational drug trafficking networks from using Thailand as a route to move narcotics overseas is crucial.

What happened

Customs officers, Sakhu police, and narcotics suppression police arrested a South African woman at Phuket International Airport on June 11 after allegedly finding 16 kilogrammes of heroin hidden inside her suitcase. The accused, identified as 32 year old Buhle, was arrested at about 6pm at the oversized baggage drop-off point on the third floor of the international passenger terminal in Mai Khao subdistrict, Thalang district, Phuket. Police said they found irregularities inside her blue wheeled suitcase. A detailed search allegedly uncovered white powder heroin packed in clear plastic bags and wrapped in black tape. The packages were hidden inside seven bags of dog and cat food of various brands. The seized narcotics and packaging weighed about 16 kilogrammes in total. Officers also seized one Samsung mobile phone and a foreign SIM card as evidence. After the arrest, officers took the accused and the seized items to the Customs Office at Phuket International Airport’s cargo building for examination and processing. The accused was then handed over to investigators at Sakhu Police Station for legal proceedings. MGR Online reported that police charged her with attempting to smuggle heroin out of Thailand and possessing a Category 1 narcotic, heroin. She also faces charges under the Customs Act B.E. 2560, or 2017, and other related laws. Officers said the arrest was part of stricter measures to prevent transnational drug trafficking networks from using Thailand as a route to move narcotics overseas. Similarly, earlier this year, police arrested a Bangladeshi woman at Phuket International Airport after she was found with cocaine and counterfeit documents while preparing to board a flight back to Bangladesh. This arrest highlights the importance of vigilance at Phuket International Airport in preventing the smuggling of narcotics. The airport’s role in preventing transnational drug trafficking networks from using Thailand as a route to move narcotics overseas is crucial.

Background and context

The development matters for buyers comparing Phuket districts, rental demand, and exit liquidity against Thailand’s broader 2026 market backdrop.

Why it matters for Phuket buyers

For Phuket property buyers, headlines like this shape foreign demand, short-stay rental flow, and how quickly investors move from research to a viewing or offer.

Source: The Thaiger

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