Thailand is stepping up efforts to stop international drug trafficking after the arrest of a Thai Airways employee in Australia drew attention to the way criminal groups are approaching airline workers through social media.
The investigation gained wider attention after a Bangkok-based flight attendant shared her own experience with a suspicious online message. She said someone she did not know contacted her on TikTok in June and asked if she was traveling to Australia. The account also wanted to know whether she accepted paid requests to transport items overseas. She ignored the message because airline staff are regularly warned not to carry belongings for strangers.
A short time later, Australian authorities charged a 26-year-old Thai Airways cabin crew member after more than one kilogram of heroin was allegedly discovered hidden inside the lining of several tote bags. According to the Australian Federal Police, the drugs were worth about A$500,000 on the street. The employee had arrived in Melbourne on a scheduled international flight.
Thai investigators believe the online message received by the Bangkok flight attendant was not random. Officials from the Office of the Narcotics Control Board said organized trafficking groups have been creating fake social media accounts to look for people willing to transport illegal drugs across borders. The TikTok profile involved in this case, which used the Thai name “Powder is Powder,” has since been removed. Authorities said the same account appeared under different names while contacting potential recruits.
The case has also prompted a response from the Thai government. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said at least six people traveling from Thailand had already faced commercial drug trafficking charges during the first half of the year. He said the number was worrying and had affected the country’s reputation. Airport authorities are now planning tighter baggage inspections, including checks involving flight crews, while airlines have been instructed to strictly enforce rules that prohibit employees from carrying packages for others.
Thai Airways said it would fully cooperate with investigators and repeated that its employees are required to follow strict professional standards.
Police said the arrested employee had first advertised in an online group where travelers offer to carry items abroad in exchange for payment. Investigators later traced conversations between the employee and a Facebook account using the name “Rose Rose.” Authorities said the two agreed on a payment of 8,800 baht before the trip.
The investigation has expanded beyond the Melbourne arrest. Thai officials said they intercepted five additional shipments that were allegedly headed to Australia and Taiwan. In those cases, heroin had been hidden inside a variety of ordinary products, including clothing, coffee packages and other merchandise intended to avoid suspicion during transport. Officers reported seizing more than 24 kilograms of heroin during the operation.
Two suspects, a Thai man and his Laotian wife, have been arrested in Thailand. Investigators say they are believed to have arranged deliveries from a border province to Bangkok. Authorities in Thailand are continuing to work with law enforcement agencies in Australia and Taiwan as the investigation continues.
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