2-1-2024 (BANGKOK) In a successful joint operation between Thai and Laotian authorities, a 39-year-old Malaysian fugitive wanted for drug smuggling was arrested in Laos last week. The suspect, identified as a key member of a drug syndicate, had been in hiding in Laos, evading authorities in Thailand.
Assistant National Police Chief Pol Lt Gen Panurat Lakboon revealed that the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) had been investigating the Malaysian individual, suspected to be a major player in drug trafficking in the Golden Triangle area since 2006. The suspect, alleged to be a drug dealer and coordinator, was apprehended on December 29 in Laos.
According to Lt Gen Panurat, the arrested individual had extensive connections with drug networks spanning Thailand, Malaysia, China, Singapore, and Laos. Thailand served as a hub for money laundering and as a transit point for smuggling drugs to various countries, including Malaysia, Taiwan, and Australia.
The successful arrest was the outcome of continuous investigation and close coordination between Thai, Malaysian, and Laotian enforcement agencies. Lt Gen Panurat highlighted the suspect’s involvement in a significant drug bust in June of the previous year, where 998kg of crystal methamphetamine were seized, leading to the arrest of seven suspects in Ratchaburi province. An arrest warrant was subsequently issued for the Malaysian fugitive in August.
Following the arrest, Thai authorities confiscated a considerable amount of the fugitive’s assets, including a land plot with a building, two condominiums, three yachts, two cars, three motorbikes, firearms, cash, and other valuables. These assets were spread across Bangkok, Trat, Chiang Rai, and Chon Buri, with a total estimated value of 85 million baht.
