Man Confesses to Heroin Smuggling, Lab Tests Confirm Drug
A 57-year-old Hmong man confessed to smuggling heroin in elephant-patterned bags for an airline hostess, with lab tests confirming heroin residue in recovered fabric samples from Bangkok.
At 4:16 p.m. on July 4, 2025, police took into custody Uthai Kanaphiwat, 57, the man in the blue hoodie who delivered heroin-concealed parcels to Mina, a female airline hostess. Officers used FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy) to analyze white powder scraped from elephant-patterned fabric remnants, which confirmed the substance was heroin.
Deputy Police Commissioner Samran Nualma questioned Uthai about the elephant-patterned fabric containing narcotics, and he nodded in admission. Officers explained that the white powder samples from the fabric tested positive for heroin. The case will proceed with detailed laboratory analysis to determine exact quantities.
Uthai, a Hmong national from Nan Province, confessed during interrogation that on June 20 he traveled to Chiang Kham District, Phayao to collect four elephant-patterned bags (12 units) and two elephant-patterned bags (6 units) containing pre-loaded heroin. After learning the airline hostess was arrested in Australia, he disposed of remaining heroin down toilets and scattered bags at various locations to destroy evidence. The evidence found today came from items recovered on Soi Suea Yai.
Forensic testing revealed heroin residue inside the confiscated bags, scoring nearly 900 out of 1,000 points, confirming heroin traces. Uthai admitted he knew the bags contained heroin from the start. He received them from a masked person in Chiang Kham, Phayao, transported them to Bangkok by tour bus, stored them in a rented room, and delivered them to a condo in the Bang Na area for 60,000 baht per trip—claiming he completed three such deliveries.
Uthai stated he was contacted through a Line group by a Thai person using coded account names like "Rinrin" but could not recall their real name. He denied packing the heroin himself, only receiving pre-packed bags before repacking and shipping them. All three deliveries used the same driver, Atirach (nicknamed "Peah"), 59, contacted by phone rather than through an app.
Deputy Commissioner Samran stated police remain skeptical of Uthai's claims of not knowing the driver personally and are gathering additional evidence. If connections are found, police will seek arrest warrants from the court.
