American woman arrested for attempting to smuggle 4 kg of meth from Thailand to Singapore

By Phan Anh February 24, 2025 | 06:46 pm PT

A 65-year-old American woman was arrested at Phuket International Airport on Sunday for allegedly attempting to smuggle more than 4 kilograms of methamphetamine onto a flight bound for Singapore.

According to the Bangkok Post, police at Sakhu Station flagged the woman, identified as Melba Sharp, as a high-risk traveler during passenger screening for Scoot Airways flight TR653.

Officers then conducted a further inspection of her suitcase, where they reportedly found four packages of a white crystalline substance hidden in bed sheets, The Phuket News reported. The packages weighed about 4.3 kilograms and are believed to be methamphetamine.

Salan Santisasanakul, the Sakhu police chief, told local media that the arrest followed a tip-off indicating an attempt to smuggle drugs through Phuket Airport. Further investigations are underway.