Two Thai Nationals Arrested in Kolkata for Drug Smuggling
Arrest of Thai Nationals in Kolkata
Representational Image
Kolkata, July 22: On Wednesday morning, Kolkata Police reported the arrest of two Thai women who were apprehended on Tuesday for possessing illegal narcotics. The women had entered the city under the guise of tourists but were actually involved in smuggling drugs into West Bengal.
The Special Task Force (STF) of Kolkata Police detained the two individuals in the Bhowanipore area of south Kolkata, where they were found with a banned substance known as ecstasy.
Ecstasy, when in tablet form, is referred to as such, while in granule form, it is known as 'Molly'. The chemical name for this drug is MDMA.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Supawadi Sukuliyat and Suthuwana Kut. They arrived in Kolkata from Bangkok on tourist visas with the intent to smuggle these illicit drugs.
Upon their arrival at Bhowanipore from Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) airport on Tuesday morning, they had plans to check into a local hotel. Detectives conducted a raid at the hotel the following day, where they discovered the drug 'Molly' hidden in the women's clothing. The 20 grams of the substance seized is valued at over Rs 1 lakh.
Intelligence sources indicate that the STF has been monitoring drug smuggling activities from Bangkok to Kolkata for some time. There is a significant demand for foreign drugs like Ecstasy and Molly, particularly among young individuals attending rave parties in certain areas of the city on weekends. Typically, foreign traffickers are contacted via the dark web or through covert agents.
Recently, STF detectives learned that local drug traffickers in Kolkata were in contact with suppliers in Bangkok and other Thai cities for these foreign substances.
Following their investigation, authorities discovered that the two women were staying at a hotel in Bhowanipore, posing as tourists, and were scheduled to deliver the drugs to local traffickers.
During initial questioning, the arrested women claimed to have experience in drug trafficking, stating that they transport drugs in a manner that avoids detection by airport scanners in both Bangkok and Kolkata.
Detectives are currently investigating whether these individuals have previously smuggled drugs into Kolkata or other cities in India.
According to investigators, local agents also facilitate the women's accommodation and movements within the city. The police are continuing their interrogation and are actively searching for other drug traffickers in Kolkata.