Thailand Regional Narcotics Police have arrested a 36-year-old Nigerian man, Michael Ikenna, and his Thai girlfriend, Nantana Chiewpanitch, 25, for allegedly peddling cocaine across the country.
The Nigerian man and his girlfriend were arrested on Friday following a tip-off from a concerned citizen that the suspects were allegedly selling cocaine in the Pattaya and Bangkok area.
The Region 2 Narcotic Suppression officers were said to have captured the duo in a sting operation conducted by undercover police who arranged to purchase 10 grams of cocaine in Takhiantia on Friday.
Ikenna was arrested outside his Takhiantia house and 9.8 g. of white powder seized from him. While his girlfriend was found inside the house.
But she denied involvement with drug dealing, saying she has only known Ikenna for a few months and worked in a call center in Bangkok.
Investigators then searched their apartment in Bangkok where they recovered nearly a gram of cocaine and hundreds of plastic bags police said were used to package drugs for sale in Bangkok, the East and Central regions.
Police said the Nigerian claimed he was an exporter of dried dory fish to his home country. Police countered it was a shell company used to launder his drug money.
They were taken to the Banglamung Police Station to face charges of illegal possession of Category 2 drugs (cocaine) with intent to sell.
KanyiDaily had also reported how two Nigerian men lost their lives after the drugs they swallowed burst open in their stomach during a flight from Brazil to Ethiopia.