Thailand is introducing stricter airport security measures after the government approved a series of new screening procedures at a meeting on July 3, chaired by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, according to Thai Examiner.
The move follows two heroin-smuggling cases involving passengers arriving in Australia from Thailand, including a Thai Airways flight attendant arrested in Melbourne on June 26 after Australian authorities allegedly found heroin hidden in her luggage.
Under the new rules, airline crew will face stricter baggage inspections alongside passengers. Authorities will also provide additional training for X-ray operators, strengthen intelligence operations and deploy more than 60 additional police drug-sniffer dogs at airports nationwide.
Thai authorities said the measures are intended to close security gaps after investigators concluded that drug trafficking networks had adapted to existing airport screening procedures.
