BANGKOK: Police have expanded their investigation into heroin concealed in an elephant-print fabric bag bound for Australia.
Pol Maj Gen Theeradej Thamsuthee, deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, confirmed that officers had arrested Ekkawit in Phayao overnight.
Police allege that Ekkawit delivered the heroin to Uthai, the man in a blue hood who was arrested earlier, before Uthai passed it to a female flight attendant to carry to Australia.
Police say Ekkawit used the chat name “Rin Rin” to contact Uthai and arrange for him to collect an elephant-print bag containing concealed heroin in Chiang Kham district, Phayao.
Investigators allege that Ekkawit delivered the bag himself.
During preliminary questioning, he admitted doing so for THB100,000, said he had bought the bag and claimed he had carried out the same task two or three times before.
He also provided information about the identity of the person using the name “Rose Rose”, who allegedly contacted flight attendant Mina to hire her to carry the bag to Australia.
Police were taking Ekkawit to identify locations in Phayao connected to the case before transferring him to the Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB).
He was expected to arrive in the evening on Friday (July 10, 2026), when Pol Gen Samran Nuanma, deputy national police chief, was due to question him personally.
Investigators found that Ekkawit was related to the person using the chat name “Rose Rose”, who allegedly instructed him to buy an elephant-print fabric bag.
Ekkawit bought the bag in Chiang Mai.
Once he had obtained it, he would notify Rose Rose and leave it at an arranged kilometre marker.
Rose Rose would then send an associate to collect the bag and have the heroin concealed inside.
Ekkawit claimed that the heroin was concealed in the bag in Laos, but police were not convinced.
He said that, one or two days after the heroin had been placed inside, Rose Rose would arrange for him to collect the bag.
Rose Rose would have an associate leave the bag and THB100,000 in cash at a kilometre marker.
Ekkawit would then collect both, arrange for Uthai to receive the bag and pay Uthai by depositing THB60,000 in cash through a cash deposit machine.
Investigators also found that Rose Rose allegedly directed Ekkawit and other associates, while using chat messages to contact and coordinate with people willing to carry items.
One of those contacted was Mina.
Narcotics police have obtained detailed information about the person using the Rose Rose profile, despite the use of an anonymous account.
However, police do not regard Rose Rose as the leader of the network, as they believe a more senior organiser remains above this person.
During initial questioning, Ekkawit gave only a limited account.
Investigators, however, found that he was a close relative of Rose Rose.
Ekkawit is from Phayao; photographs show the two travelling together, and the person using the Rose Rose name is also from the province.
Before seeking Uthai’s remand in custody, police questioned him further.
Uthai claimed that he had carried out the work five or six times, but investigators remained unconvinced because they believed his account had been carefully rehearsed before his arrest.
Police also found that Uthai had rented a room in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province for at least five or six months, and believe he may have carried out the work more often than he admitted.
Officers are expanding the investigation to arrest the entire network. - The Nation/ANN
