South Korean man arrested for drug trafficking and visa overstay
The Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) and the Immigration Bureau arrested a South Korean man in the Isaan province of Khon Kaen for overstaying his visa and trafficking drugs from Thailand to South Korea.
Thai officials were instructed to withdraw visas and deport two South Korean nationals under an INTERPOL Red Notice. The two suspects are believed to have entered Thailand to smuggle drugs back to their home country.
ONCB and immigration officers arrested one of the suspects on July 28 in Pattaya. The South Korean national overstayed his visa by 286 days – approximately nine months. He was subsequently deported on November 5 to face further legal proceedings in South Korea.
Further investigation revealed that another relevant South Korean man fled Pattaya and was hiding in Khon Kaen. Officers tracked him down and successfully arrested him on Tuesday, November 19. The identities of both foreign suspects were made public.
The South Korean national was arrested in Khon Kaen and charged with overstaying his visa and trafficking drugs. However, the legal consequences for the man were not reported. Additionally, no further details about the duration of his overstay were not disclosed.
In a related case, a South Korean man was arrested in Chon Buri in August for illegally entering Thailand and smuggling drugs. Officers found 1.5 grams of crystal meth, 0.4 grammes of ecstasy, and drug paraphernalia in his possession.
Another South Korean national was arrested in Chon Buri in October after evading arrest for trafficking crystal methamphetamine from South Korea to Thailand. In addition to the drug charge, the man was found to have overstayed his visa in Thailand.
In the same month, police were searching for a Thai woman who tricked an innocent man into delivering drugs to South Korea on her behalf. The woman packed the drugs in a parcel and paid the victim 500 baht to send it.
The victim became suspicious of the contents of the parcel and contacted the police, leading to the discovery of the drug trafficking operation. No updates on the arrest of the suspect were reported in Thai media.
