Three Kenyan women were apprehended at Phuket Airport, found to be carrying nearly 3 kilograms of cocaine, with an estimated value of around 10 million baht, concealed within their vaginas and stomachs.
The arrests were made following an alert from the Office of the Narcotics Control Board on Sunday, notifying local police and customs officials about suspected smuggling activities involving cocaine into the country through Phuket Airport by some foreigners.
On Tuesday, the authorities at the airport identified the three Kenyan women and performed body inspections, but did not discover any illegal items on them, according to the head of the Sakhu police.
However, subsequent X-rays conducted at Thalang Hospital revealed a contrasting narrative.
X-rays of their abdomens revealed capsules filled with cocaine that had been swallowed.
Moreover, the individuals had placed larger packets with the substance in their vaginas, as reported by the police.
The police officers subsequently escorted the three women back to the customs section of Phuket International Airport to extract the suspicious substances from their bodies, a procedure that spanned two full days.
These substances were later confirmed to be cocaine, resulting in the arrest of all three individuals.
The apprehended individuals were recognized as Faith Wanza Musembi, aged 26; Nelly Gacheri Ruuri, aged 26; and Grace Wangari Karok, aged 34.
Miss Faith Wanza Musembi was found to possess roughly 1,620 grams of cocaine; Miss Nelly Gacheri Ruuri was holding about 765 grams of cocaine, along with additional paraphernalia; and Miss Grace Wangari Karoki was carrying approximately 472 grams of cocaine.
In summary, the authorities retrieved 2,857 grammes of cocaine, stated Pol Col Salan Santisatsanakul, the commander of the Sakhu police station.
In spite of the questioning process, none of the three apprehended individuals offered any details or collaborated with the officials.
However, given the incontrovertible evidence, they faced charges of unauthorized importation and possession of cocaine within the Kingdom.
Such offenses, according to existing drug laws and customs regulations, might potentially facilitate the distribution of drugs in the community.
