A 65-year-old South Korean man, Park Sukhee, narrowly avoided being arrested for drug smuggling after he grew suspicious of his luggage and sought help from the Thai police. The incident occurred on January 25, 2025, at a hotel in the Thalang district of Phuket.
How the Smuggling Attempt Unfolded
Sukhee had checked into the hotel on January 24, preparing to fly to France via Qatar Airways. However, before heading to Phuket International Airport on January 25, he noticed that one of his bags was unusually heavy. The bag had been given to him by a foreign man he had met in Phuket, who asked him to carry it to France, promising that someone would collect it there.
Feeling uneasy about the weight and contents of the bag, Sukhee decided to seek assistance from the Embassy of the Republic of Korea and Thai police.
The Discovery of Heroin
Upon inspecting the bag, officers discovered two tightly taped paper bags weighing a total of approximately five kilograms. The bags contained heroin, with one weighing 3.8 kilograms and the other 2.8 kilograms. The drugs were confiscated by police, and an investigation began to identify the foreign man responsible for the illicit items.
The Ongoing Investigation
The Thai police are reviewing CCTV footage from the hotel to gather more information about the individual who tricked Sukhee into carrying the drugs. Authorities have not disclosed the full details of the suspect’s relationship with Sukhee or why he agreed to transport the heroin.
This case highlights the dangers of becoming unwittingly involved in international drug trafficking schemes. In a similar incident last year, a Thai father helped save his daughter from a drug arrest when he discovered cocaine hidden inside cushions she was delivering to Australia.
