CAAT tightens crew baggage rules after heroin bust

CAAT tightens crew baggage rules following a heroin bust on a Thai Airways flight after a flight attendant was detained in Melbourne. Thailand’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAAT) ordered airlines to tighten control over what cabin crew carry after the arrest of flight attendant Mina, detained at Melbourne Airport on June 25. Customs officers found more than one kilogram of heroin in tote bags, valued at an estimated 11.5 million baht (about US$315,000). The new rules require every Air Operator Certificate holder to set clear limits on item type, size and weight for crew, and ban them from transporting third-party goods unless assigned by the airline. CAAT said the move followed a national narcotics suppression committee meeting on July 3, and threatens non-compliant airlines with licence suspension or revocation. Investigators formed a special team to link the case to an international trafficking network, including work with Australian authorities, as additional charges and potential sentences of four to 15 years are prepared.