San Diego

A federal grand jury indicted five men Tuesday on charges involving a conspiracy to smuggle $500,000 worth of heroin from Thailand into the United States.

Karl August Most, 36, whose last address was in El Cajon, is in jail in Thailand after undercover agents there arrested him after receiving a kilogram of 80% pure heroin, Assistant U.S. Atty. Patrick O’Toole said.

Robert Naslund, 36, of El Cajon is in custody at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in San Diego in lieu of $100,000 bail.

Also in custody in Thailand are James Parr, 26, of San Diego and Robert Whiteash, 40. The fifth co-defendant, Gary Gilmore, whose age was not available, is at MCC in lieu of $100,000 bail.

They are charged with conspiracy to import and possess heroin with intent to distribute, foreign travel in aid of racketeering enterprises, and use of a phone during a narcotics transaction.

O’Toole said the defendants had planned to mail the heroin to Mexico, where it would be smuggled into the United States in automobile drive shafts.

Most was sentenced last year to five years in federal prison in a 1984 heroin case in which the drug was sent through the mail in a petrified, hollow blowfish. He had been free on appeal when arrested in Thailand, O’Toole said.

Attempts to extradite the three men are expected to be made soon.