BANGKOK, March 7 – A Russian national wanted for conspiracy in the drug trade has been arrested in Thailand following close Interpol collaboration.
Thailand Interpol branch head, Police Colonel Apichart Suriboonya, led a news briefing on Friday following the arrest of a fugitive Russian suspect identified as Yuri Chemanov.
Col Apichart said that Interpol had earlier contacted the Thai authorities to help track the suspect after he fled Russia for an alleged synthetic marijuana conspiracy. Synthetic marijuana is known as a fast-working drug that cannot be detected by sniffer dogs. A tip later led to the suspect’s arrest on Samui Island in the southern province of Surat Thani.
Police used the I-24/7, an around the clock Interpol global secure communication service with tools to facilitate police in transnational investigations, Col Apichart said.
The system enables police to curb cross-border crimes faster. It also reports that there are a number of Russian nationals who claim they registered to study Thai to gain student visas for longer stay permits, especially in major resort towns of Pattaya, Samui and Phuket.
Thai Interpol has pledged to continue its investigation of more than 60,000 cases of lost passports and
thoroughly review criminal data to prevent them from committing illegal acts in the Kingdom.
