French drug fugitive and Chinese theft suspect arrested in same-day crackdown
A French drug fugitive and a Chinese theft suspect were arrested in a same-day crackdown on foreign fugitives in Thailand.
Immigration police first raided a hotel in Bangkok's Huai Khwang district on May 23, where they arrested Wang, 31, wanted by police in Nanjing over alleged theft offences.
Officers said the suspect had entered Thailand on a tourist visa and was hiding in the capital before police tracked him down and verified his identity through Chinese police records.
Hours later, police stormed a condominium in coastal party town Pattaya some 150 kilometres (93 miles) away and arrested French national Martin, who was accused of running a cross-border narcotics operation.
French authorities wanted the suspect for suspected drug smuggling, possession and trafficking linked to shipments in Belgium, the UK, Austria, Germany and Italy.
Police Colonel Prinya Klinakesorn, spokesman for Immigration Division 3, said both men had their stay permits in Thailand revoked before being transferred to a detention facility pending deportation and extradition proceedings.
He said: 'This operation demonstrates the swift and decisive capability of Immigration Division 3 investigators in tackling cross-border crime.
'It sends a clear message that Thailand will not be a safe haven for transnational criminals. No matter where they hide in the country, they cannot escape the reach of the authorities.'
