Suspect accused of recruiting Thai flight attendant to smuggle heroin to Australia linked to Shan State drug network
PUBLISHED : 23 Jul 2026 at 19:27
Thailand is seeking the extradition of a woman accused of hiring a Thai flight attendant to carry heroin-filled bags to Australia, as authorities intensify efforts to dismantle a transnational drug trafficking network linked to a notorious drug kingpin in Myanmar’s Shan State.
The suspect, identified only as Chantra, is the person behind the Facebook account “Rose Rose”, which allegedly contacted and recruited a Thai Airways International flight attendant, Meena, through Facebook Messenger to transport bags concealing narcotics, said Pol Maj Gen Noppasit Mitpakdee, commander of the Narcotics Suppression Bureau’s Division 1.
Investigators believe Ms Chantra has fled to Myanmar and is hiding in an area controlled by ethnic armed groups.
According to Pol Maj Gen Noppasit, Ms Chantra is related to Col Ja Lobo, a suspected drug lord based in southern Shan State. Authorities describe him as a key figure in a major transnational drug production and trafficking operation. He previously served as deputy commander of Military Region 171, an area under the influence of the United Wa State Army (UWSA), one of Myanmar’s most powerful ethnic armed groups.
Thai security and anti-narcotics agencies have monitored Col Ja Lobo for years. An arrest warrant has already been issued for him.
Pol Maj Gen Noppasit said authorities are now coordinating with Myanmar officials to bring Ms Chantra back to face prosecution. He noted that Thailand and Myanmar do not have a mutual legal assistance treaty (MLAT), meaning officials must rely on international cooperation and diplomatic channels to secure her return.
Meanwhile, Parin Mekhanan, director of the Office of Narcotics Control Board’s (ONCB) Bangkok office, said Ms Meena remains in the custody of the Australian Federal Police and is scheduled to appear before Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Sept 14.
The ONCB has continuously provided information to Australian authorities, although any decision on whether that evidence will be used in Ms Meena’s case rests with Australian prosecutors and courts. Australian authorities have not requested additional information from Thailand, he said.
Pol Maj Gen Teeradej Thammasuthee, deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, said authorities are stepping up efforts against transnational drug syndicates that use Thailand as an export hub.
He said such networks are often run by foreign nationals, including Chinese, Vietnamese and ethnic minority groups, who trick Thais into carrying drugs overseas. Authorities cited Ms Meena’s case and another involving crystal methamphetamine concealed in tamarind paste destined for Tokyo.
However, he said cases of unsuspecting Thais being recruited as drug couriers have declined as public awareness has grown following a series of high-profile arrests and media reports.