A drug trafficking operation in Bangkok was exposed after police noticed suspicious residents repeatedly ordering large quantities of bread, only to leave the food outside their condominium rooms until it rotted and attracted ants.
The bizarre discovery eventually led to the arrest of three suspects and the seizure of drugs worth more than two million baht (approximately RM260,000).
According to reports, officers from Thailand’s Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB) began investigating suspicious activities at a condominium in the Hua Mak area after receiving information about the residents.
Investigators noticed that several people appeared to be entering and leaving one unit in shifts, while bread deliveries were being made more than 20 times a day.
Police became increasingly suspicious when they observed bread being handed to delivery riders, prompting officers to follow one of them to a drop-off location.
The rider was stopped and searched, leading to the discovery of drugs concealed inside the bread.
Information obtained from the delivery rider led police to a 29-year-old Thai woman identified as Chanyanuch, who was allegedly responsible for packaging and distributing the narcotics.
Police raided her condominium unit in the On Nut area on November 9, uncovering 510 grammes of cocaine, 18.8 grammes of crystal methamphetamine, 73.9 grammes of ketamine and more than 100,000 baht in cash.
According to ThaiRath, Chanyanuch appeared frightened during her arrest, prompting officers to spend time reassuring her.
She later confessed to being hired to package and distribute drugs through the network.
Chanyanuch told investigators that the narcotics were delivered using hired vehicles, hidden inside food boxes from convenience stores and left on the ground floor of her condominium.
She would collect the packages, mix the substances with white blackboard chalk according to instructions from the gang leader, and conceal the drugs inside bread.
Police said the operation involved three grades of cocaine: compressed pellets known as the “beautiful grade”, Cocaine 95, described as unadulterated cocaine, and Cocaine 85, which contained 15% white chalk powder.
Chanyanuch reportedly claimed she had worked for the network for two years, operating in 15-day shifts and earning between 25,000 and 30,000 baht per shift.
She also told police she had never met her employer, who communicated with her through voice messages after she was recruited by a friend.
During the raid, officers noticed another woman, identified as 25-year-old Jariyawadee, monitoring Chanyanuch’s arrest.
She reportedly left after attracting the attention of police, but investigators later tracked her to a condominium in the Ramkhamhaeng area, where they discovered bread and drugs.
Jariyawadee confessed to participating in the operation for three months.
A third suspect, 43-year-old Naritsara, was subsequently arrested at a soi off Sukhumvit Road in Bangkok’s Khlong Tan Nuea area, Watthana district, over alleged involvement in the trafficking network.
Police said approximately 650 grammes of cocaine, worth around two million baht, were seized throughout the operation.
Other items confiscated included bread packaging, weighing scales, a grinder, four mobile phones and a box of white blackboard chalk.
