Chinese gang arrested over one tonne meth shipment to the Philippines

An alleged drugs gang were arrested after a tonne of methamphetamine was found hidden inside shoe boxes being sent to the Philippines.

The two Chinese man and two Thais allegedly packed the substance, known as Ice, into a shipping container which was due to leave from Chonburi, eastern Thailand.

But police said they were tipped off and on Sunday (June 16) raided the container which was full of 612 shoe boxes. Inside 34 of the boxes were drugs disguised at tea bags.

Chinese nationals Huang Guoxion, 24, and Zhou Qingchu, 44, as well as Thai residents Suban Manachanon, 57, and Joi sae Fong, 62, were arrested following the raid.

National Police chief General Chalermchai Srivorakan said the four suspects had been charged with narcotics possession with the intention to sell.

General Srivorakan said: ''The arresting officers were responding to a tip-off that a transnational drug trafficking ring was preparing to hide illicit drugs in a cargo container, and investigation brought the team to the yard.''

The General said that the suspects had been remanded in custody pending further legal action. He added: ''This was an arrest of a multinational drug smuggling gang lead by police, army, border and customs officials.

''There was more than 1,000kg of methamphetamine hidden in a cargo of shoe boxes prepared for delivery to the Philippines. The drugs were intercepted and four suspects have been detained.''