An Australian national wanted on drug charges in his home country has been arrested at a condominium in Din Daeng district of Bangkok.
Immigration officers apprehended the suspect identified only as Isaac, 44, on Friday afternoon after receiving intelligence that a fugitive sought by Australian authorities was hiding in Thailand, Pol Col Prinya Klinkesorn, a spokesman for the Immigration Division 3, said on Saturday.
The arrest followed a request from the Australian Federal Police (AFP) liaison office in Thailand, which said the suspect was wanted on a warrant issued in Queensland on Jan 18 last year.
The suspect faces 11 charges related to the possession and manufacture of illicit drugs.
Authorities said the suspect held dual citizenship, carrying both Australian and New Zealand passports. Records showed he most recently entered Thailand on Feb 10 this year. Investigators also found he had previously been linked to other criminal cases, including drug possession in 2019, and attempted drug smuggling in Indonesia in 2017.
Pol Col Prinya said the arrest was the result of proactive intelligence-driven operations and effective coordination with international security partners, which successfully led to the capture of the major transnational fugitive hiding in Thailand.
The suspect’s visa has been revoked and authorities will prepare to deport him to his home country.
The arrest marks another significant achievement for Immigration Division 3 in preventing Thailand from becoming a safe haven for foreign fugitives, said Pol Col Prinya.
Since January, the division has arrested and deported more than 20 foreign criminals who had fled ongoing cases abroad and sought to hide in Thailand, he said.
Source: Bangkok Post