An Australian Hells Angels bikie and his wife have been arrested in Bangkok after allegedly smuggling 500 kilograms of drugs into the Thailand.
Luke Joshua Cook, 34, and Kanyarat Wechapitak, 40, were arrested at the weekend after arriving off a flight from Australia.
They allegedly attempted to bring millions of dollars worth of crystal meth to Thailand in 2015.
The Australian gang member was detained by immigration officials as local authorities crack down against Hells Angels in a city known for its sex industry and international crime syndicates.
Hells Angels bikie Luke Cook (left) and his Thai wife Kanyarat Wechapitak (right) were arrested in Bangkok after allegedly smuggling 500 kilograms of drugs into the country
Cook (pictured) and his wife were arrested after arriving off a flight from Australia on Saturday
Cook, 34, (pictured) was arrested for allegedly attempting to bring millions of dollars worth of crystal methamphetamine to Thailand in 2015
Cook is accused of smuggling the drug ice from a boat off the Thailand coast where he reportedly threw a large amount of the drug overboard after spotting a patrol boat, according to local media.
Police reportedly later found 50 kilograms of the drug washed ashore, issuing arrest warrants for the couple.
Luxury cars, bikes, guns, money and houses were among the items seized by police following the arrest of Cook and Wechapitak.
‘It is a big transnational crime organisation which is just escalating its operations in Thailand,’ Major General Apichat Sirisith told media on Tuesday.
However, a lawyer for the couple said the two denied wrongdoing.
‘These two haven’t done anything wrong,’ lawyer Pipat Chanprakul told Reuters.
Cook, the owner of P** Stop Bar, is believed to be a member of the Pattaya Hells Angels gang
Police alleged Cook dumped the drug ice from a boat off the Thailand coast after being spooked by local authorities, where police found 50kg of drug washed ashore (stock image)
‘They are pleading innocent.’
Police Lieutenant General Sommai Kongwisaisuk of the Thai Narcotics Suppression Bureau said Cook, the owner of P** Stop Bar, was a member of the Pattaya Hells Angels gang.
The Australian is believed to have helped convicted murderer Antonio Bagnato, 28, escape to Cambodia where the 28-year-old was arrested earlier this year and sentenced to death.