Speeding stop leads to arrest of Russian man on Koh Pha Ngan
On February 25, tourist police arrested a Russian man with drugs on Koh Pha Ngan, Surat Thani, after stopping a speeding car and later searching his home, where multiple types of narcotics were found.
The arrest followed patrols at about 7pm on February 25, where officers followed a car travelling at high speed in a community area. When the vehicle stopped, police asked the driver, described as a foreign man, to show his passport.
According to police, the man, identified as 33 year old Russian national Evgenii Nikulin, appeared startled and spoke incoherently. He said his passport was at home, so officers had him lead them to the residence for verification.
At the house, police said the suspect showed visible signs of erratic behaviour. He was reportedly sweating and trembling, and tried to prevent officers from entering, but later confessed to the illegal items inside.
During the search, officers found two bags of white powder ketamine (about 1.63 grammes), one bag of blue powder described as ecstasy mixed with ketamine (1.18 grammes), one bag of brown crystal MDMA, and three purple and orange ecstasy tablets in a triangular skull design.
Tests suggested the ecstasy tablets’ design matched a newer Labubu drug known by the slang term “khanom.” The tablets were brightly coloured and styled to resemble sweets.
Further lab analysis found high-concentration MDMA, and that such products are often mixed with ketamine, cocaine and caffeine, increasing the risks of polydrug use.
The suspect admitted the seized items belonged to him and said he had taken ecstasy two days earlier.
Police charged him with illegal possession of a Category 1 narcotic (ecstasy/MDMA) and illegal possession of a Category 2 psychotropic substance (ketamine).
He and the seized items were handed to investigators at Koh Pha Ngan Police Station for legal proceedings.
The arrest followed a policy of tightening enforcement against foreign nationals involved with drugs in major tourist areas. Police plan to intensify crackdowns on crimes involving foreigners during the high season, reported Amarin TV.
Elsewhere, police arrested two Russian men in Rawai district, Phuket, and seized around 10 kilogrammes of magic mushrooms during a raid on a property dubbed the “Mushroom Temple”. Another Russian woman managed to escape arrest.
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