7-10-2024 (BANGKOK) Fugitive ex-Muay Thai boxer Santi Jae-arlee was apprehended by authorities in the early hours of Monday morning in Nakhon Ratchasima province, northeastern Thailand. The arrest marks the end of a tense manhunt that began with a violent house intrusion and shooting incident in Bangkok last week.
The 39-year-old suspect, once known in the ring as Ritthidet Maimuangkhon, was intercepted at a police checkpoint in Muang district around 1 am. In a last-ditch attempt to evade capture, Jae-arlee leapt from a taxi, claimed to be without identification, and tried to flee on foot before stumbling and falling into the hands of waiting officers.
The dramatic series of events leading to Jae-arlee’s arrest began last Thursday night when he allegedly broke into a residence in Bangkok’s Phaya Thai district. When confronted by law enforcement, the suspect reportedly opened fire and managed to escape. In a bizarre twist, his wife also appeared at the scene armed with a firearm. She purportedly forced a police officer to drive her to Ayutthaya province before being taken into custody.
Following the incident, Bangkok police reported multiple sightings of Jae-arlee across the capital in the early hours of Friday morning. Intelligence gathered by detectives suggested the fugitive was planning to make his way to Amnat Charoen province, which shares a border with Laos. This information prompted authorities to set up checkpoints in Nakhon Ratchasima, a key transit point to Thailand’s northeast region.
Upon his arrest, Jae-arlee was found in possession of two handguns – a semi-automatic pistol and a revolver – along with ammunition for both weapons. The former boxing champion now faces a litany of serious charges, including attempted murder of a police officer, illegal possession and use of firearms, and unlawful house intrusion.
