KOH SAMUI: An Indonesian man has been detained by police after picking up a suitcase stuffed with 3 kilograms of cocaine at Samui International Airport.
The suspect, named by police as Djemmy Petrus Mokodompit, 48, had arrived on Koh Samui a week earlier, on July 8, on a Bangkok Airways flight from Singapore.
The unaccompanied suitcase arrived at Samui airport on July 14 on a separate flight from Singapore.
Samui Airport Customs officials’ suspicions were raised when they X-rayed the suitcase, which appeared to have something lining the insides.
Police then detained Mr Mokodompit when he picked up the suitcase, which investigators cut open to reveal layers of resin and plastic concealing the stash of cocaine, said Samui District chief Paiboon Omak.
Officers found the walls of the suitcase packed with a total of 3,150 grams of cocaine with an estimated street value of 9.45 million baht.
Mr Mokodompit told police he was hired to pick up the suitcase by an unidentified Nigerian, who paid him 25 million Indonesian Rupiah (66,600 baht). However, he had no idea who he was supposed to hand the case to once he had picked it up, he claimed.
Police have subsequently charged Mr Mokokdompit with possession of a category 2 drug and bringing it into the country without permission.
