Six Vietnamese Nationals Arrested in Bangkok Over Attempted Smuggling of 2kg of Methamphetamine to Japan Hidden in Tamarind Paste Jars
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Metropolitan Police of Bangkok, Thailand, announced on July 21, 2026 that, after discovering methamphetamine ("ice," crystalline methamphetamine) concealed in containers of tamarind paste inside a package destined for Japan, it searched four locations in Bangkok and arrested six Vietnamese men and women. Approximately 2.059 kilograms of high-purity methamphetamine was reportedly hidden in the bottoms of six jars of tamarind paste.
The case came to light after a woman who transported parcels between Japan and Thailand received a request via an SNS account on July 3 of that year asking her to "carry a package to Japan," and a delivery driver dropped off a cardboard box at a residence in the Bangkok Noi district of Bangkok. Thai police are investigating those involved and the flow of funds, with an eye toward possible involvement by an international drug trafficking organization.
Current status: This arrest was made by Thai authorities, and as of this writing it is not known whether any case has been brought in Japan or whether referral for prosecution or indictment will follow in Thailand. This article will be updated, including on the status of any investigation in Japan, the intended destination of the smuggled drugs, as further details become available.
Regarding methamphetamine smuggling destined for Japan, other previously reported cases include an Iranian national's smuggling case involving drugs with a street value of more than 2.1 billion yen (related coverage) and an American college student indicted for smuggling offenses involving 800 million yen worth of drugs (related coverage). Such cases repeatedly point to the existence of an international drug smuggling network with Japan as its ultimate destination.