Four Myanmar nationals were taken into custody after a raid on a hotel room suspected of being a control station for drones reported flying near Suvarnabhumi airport. Ten drones were seized from them, Lat Krabang police said on Tuesday.
The suspects reportedly told police they had been hired by an unidentified Myanmar national to come and pick up the drones in Thailand.
They were identified as Zhe Htet Aung, 32; Sa Nay Lin Htet, 24; Kyaw Zin Hein, 21; and Thein Zaw, 34. They were apprehended when police searched a room at the Grand BS Airport Hotel Suvarnabhumi in Lat Krabang Soi 30/4, about three kilometres from the airport.
Investigators said the four checked in on Sunday, with an advance online booking under the name David.
Police seized 10 drones made by the Chinese manufacturer DJI from the room. The suspects reportedly said they had been ordered to bring the devices to a boss, identified as Kevin Zo, in Myanmar, who would sell them to the Myanmar army.
The search came after the the National Security Council (NSC) on Monday approved measures to counter drone incursions in sensitive areas, following reports of multiple drones flying near the airport on Sunday.
Police said they had learned that the location they raided could potentially be the drone control site. The investigation was continuing.
The suspects’ visas were cancelled, and they were detained by the Immigration Bureau for further questioning.