Italian man arrested in Chon Buri for theft committed in his country 13 years ago

The Thai Immigration Bureau arrested an Italian man at a condominium in Chon Buri province after the foreigner fled a theft charge in his home country to hide in Thailand.

The Immigration Bureau announced its successful operation against foreign criminals in Thailand at a press conference yesterday, November 23. One of the successful operations was the arrest of a 63 year old Italian man named Edi.

Officers explained that the Royal Thai Police (RTP) received a notification from the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) and authorities in Rome that an Italian criminal, Edi, under a Red Notice, was hiding in Thailand and cooperation was needed to return him to Italy.

According to INTERPOL, on June 1, 2010, Edi and his gang members committed a theft at the home of an Italian couple. They threatened and physically assaulted the couple, who were unable to resist due to their age and disabilities. One of them was blind and the other disabled.

Edi broke into their home and stole 28,000 euros in cash (1.08 million baht) as well as other valuable items including diamond accessories, watches and two bank cards.

After the crime, Edi escaped arrest and later arrived in Thailand on February 8, 2020, under the free visa scheme. Officers tracked him down and discovered he was living in a condominium in Chon Buri. He reportedly obtained the retiree visa and was allowed to stay in the country until January 30 this year.

Mueang Pattaya Police Station officers raided his condo to make an arrest but the date of the operation was not disclosed in the report.

Edi will be punished for overstaying his visa and later extradited to Italy for trial on the theft charge.

The other two successful arrests mentioned at the press conference were the arrest of a Russian man for running an illegal financial institution in the Russian cities of Moscow and Bryansk, and the arrest of Pakistani nationals for visa fraud.