A Thai university student has been arrested for smuggling 10,448 grams of marijuana buds and 60 gummy bears containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), with an estimated street value of 10.8 million patacas, according to senior investigator Lei Ka Wo of the Judiciary Police (PJ), who announced the case in a special press conference yesterday.
The 23-year-old suspect is surnamed Kham Kham Kaew.
According to Lei, PJ investigators stationed at Macau International Airport observed the suspect’s suspicious behaviour after he retrieved his luggage. He attempted to blend in with the crowd of arriving passengers and constantly avoided eye contact with the police. Lei noted that the suspect was intercepted and taken to the customs X-ray machine to have his luggage inspected.
The inspection revealed an abnormal density in the suitcase which also alerted the sniffer dog, leading to the discovery of 31 packages of marijuana buds vacuum-sealed in transparent plastic bags. Among them, 22 packages were hidden inside courier bags. The police also discovered four bottles of tetrahydrocannabinol gummy bears, which contained a total of 60 sweets, weighing approximately 112 grams.
Lei noted that this was the first time THC gummy bears have been found in Macau.
Under questioning, Kham Kham Kaew admitted to having been employed by a drug gang to smuggle the drugs into Macau and then transfer them to Hong Kong. However, he refused to provide further details.
Throughout the operation, the police seized a total of 10,448 grams of marijuana buds and 60 gummy bears containing tetrahydrocannabinol, with a total estimated street value of 10.8 million patacas.
The suspect was transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) yesterday, facing drug trafficking charges.
The hooded male drug mule fromThailand is escorted by Judiciary Police (PJ) officers to a PJ vehicle parked outside the PJ headquarters in Zape yesterday.
Judiciary Police (PJ) senior investigator Lei Ka Wo (centre-left), as well as other PJ officers, look on during yesterday’s special conference. Evidence including marijuana buds and gummy bears containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is displayed at the conference room. – Photos: William Chan
