Russian QR code drug runner found hiding in Koh Samui hotel
Suspect tracked through online trail linking him to drug network
A Russian man wanted for promoting drugs via QR codes was arrested by immigration police after fleeing Phuket and hiding at a hotel on Koh Samui.
The suspect, 27 year old Semen Kasparian (also reported as Semian Gaspayan) was arrested by Surat Thani Immigration Police today, November 6, after fleeing an arrest warrant issued in Phuket. The Russian national is believed to be part of a wider online drug ring targeting tourists in Thailand through crypto and QR code technology.
The arrest followed a tip-off from social media. A Facebook page called Phuket Brutal had shared images of drug-related advertisements, complete with QR codes, stuck to power poles in tourist areas. The stickers linked to a website called THAIHUB.TOP, which showcased various narcotics for sale, including a photo of a woman holding a bag of white powder resembling cocaine.
Investigators from Provincial Police Region 8, the Narcotics Suppression Bureau, and Immigration Bureau Region 6 traced the suspect to a hotel in Koh Samui. Officers say Kasparian was seen sitting in front of his room acting suspiciously. When he noticed the officers approaching, he bolted out the back of the hotel.
After a short chase, police apprehended him and searched his room. Inside, they found a large stash of QR code stickers and images on his phone allegedly used to report back to his handler.
During questioning, Kasparian confessed to communicating with an unidentified foreign website administrator via Telegram, a popular messaging app among Russians. The administrator allegedly sent him drug promotion stickers through a private courier.
“I would stick them in different places, mostly on electric poles, and I got paid US$1 (around 36 baht) per sticker via my crypto wallet. I’ve been doing this for three days and earned around US$300.”
Police aren’t buying the full story. Investigators believe Kasparian is just one cog in a larger operation and are now working to identify others involved in the drug ring, reported KhaoSod.
Kasparian has been charged with advertising illegal drugs without permission and has been handed over to officers at Cherng Talay Police Station for legal proceedings.
Officials say the crackdown will continue, with immigration and narcotics units ordered to step up enforcement against foreigners abusing Thailand’s hospitality.
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