Boonlua Chatree
Immigration police have arrested a Russian fugitive wanted on
embezzlement and extortion who had gone into the real estate business in
Pattaya.
Russian Dmitry Ishmukhametov
has been arrested on various charges, but will be deported to face
extortion charges in Russia.
Dmitry Ishmukhametov, 41, was taken into custody
outside his Anastasia International Co. office on Thepprasit Soi 5 Feb.
20 based on an Interpol arrest warrant and request from the Russian
Embassy. He initially presented officers with a Czech passport bearing
the name of Dmitry Lemba, but confessed to being Ishmukhametov after
immigration officials confirmed with the Czech Embassy the passport was
fake, police said.
Ishmukhametov is wanted in Russia for allegedly extorting 1 million
rubles (917,000 baht) in a property scam. Immigration officials said the
suspect fled prosecution to the Czech Republic, where he purchased a
Russian-crafted fake passport for the equivalent of 150,000 baht.
Using the fake passport, he entered Thailand in October 2013 to develop
a condominium project in Jomtien Beach. He used a fake work permit to
set himself up as the managing director of the 60 million baht
Anastasia.
He was charged with possession and use of a fake passport, fraudulent
work permit, illegally entering the kingdom, working illegally in the
kingdom, and reporting fake information to police. However, he likely
will not be prosecuted on any of the charges, as he was immediately
prepared for deportation.
