BANGKOK, Thailand – The Bangkok Metropolitan Police (BMP) and narcotics suppression units conducted a major operation, “Nana Shadow Bust,” targeting a street-level drug gang in Sukhumvit 11, Khlong Toei, Bangkok. The operation resulted in the arrest of 9 suspects—8 Nigerians and 1 Thai—and the seizure of cocaine and other evidence.
The undercover operation involved officers disguised as construction workers, boarding a local minibus and blending into the area to observe the gang, which had been selling drugs exclusively to foreign tourists. The suspects employed evasive tactics such as hiding cocaine in their mouths, spitting it out only when a buyer approached, and swallowing it immediately if authorities arrived.
Police seized two black-taped packets of cocaine totaling 4 grams, 11 mobile phones, and additional narcotics that are currently being processed for evidence. The suspects will face charges for possession and distribution of a Class 2 narcotic (cocaine) without authorization.
The investigation was prompted by warnings posted on “ThailandTourism,” a community page with 430,000 members, which highlighted the activities of African men involved in drug sales, scams, and pickpocketing in the Nana area, negatively impacting tourism.
Pol. Maj. Gen. Theeradech Thamsuthi, Deputy Commissioner of the BMP and head of the narcotics suppression center, explained that traffickers often smuggle cocaine by swallowing it before flying into Thailand and later excrete it for street-level sales. The gang would hide drugs in tape-wrapped packages in their mouths, swallowing them if police approached, making detection difficult.
Authorities stressed that the operation aims to reassure tourists and curb illicit drug activity in popular areas, with plans to expand the investigation further to dismantle the entire network. (TNA)
