PUBLISHED ONFebruary 25, 2025 3:35 AMByKhoo Yi-HangA 65-year-old American woman was arrested at Phuket International Airport with 4.3kg of crystal methamphetamine, according to multiple reports.
The woman, identified as Melba Geraldine Sharp from California, was reportedly set to board Scoot Airways flight TR653 to South Korea via Singapore on Sunday (Feb 23), according to The Phuket News.
The methamphetamine, worth 1.29 million baht (S$51,500), was discovered after Sharp was flagged down during a routine risk assessment of passenger profiles, The Nation reported.
Officers had received a tip-off about possible drug smuggling through the airport and an X-ray screening revealed suspicious objects inside her suitcase, Customs director-general Theeraj Athanavanich told media.
While examining her luggage, police found four sets of bed sheets that were unusually heavy.
Authorities opened them to find rectangular packages wrapped in multiple layers of brown tape, Bangkok Post reported.
Chemical tests revealed the packages to contain the methamphetamine, weighing a total of 4.3kg.
Sharp was then arrested and charged with attempting to smuggle Category 1 narcotics and illegal possession of methamphetamine under Thailand's Narcotics Code and faces further legal proceedings, The Phuket News reported.
Under the Misuse of Drugs Act in Singapore, offenders convicted of trafficking, importing or exporting more than 250g of methamphetamine may face the death penalty.
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