Martial artists who got muay Thai training equipment for Christmas might want to check their gifts for illicit surprises. The news agency Reuters has reported on the seizure of a shipment of Thai boxing punching bags in Thailand that contained more than 400 pounds of crystal methamphetamine hidden inside them. The shipment, destined for Australia, had an estimated street value upwards of $30 million.

---

Customs officials said they became suspicious of the Thai-made training gear because there's not a high demand for it in Australia. But there is, apparently, a demand for crystal meth with authorities reporting Australians consume about 11 tons of the drug per year. Southeast Asia, particularly the "Golden Triangle" area that borders Thailand, Laos and Myanmar, has become a major center for meth production in recent years.