Phuket sports: Former FC Phuket player netted in Immigration raid

PHUKET: Former FC Phuket midfielder Abdoul Coulibaly was among 27 Africans arrested on Wednesday during an Immigration Police crackdown in Bangkok.

The arrests were first reported on sport.mthai.com, a Thai-language website.

According to the report, 25-year-old Abdoul was detained for not having proof of compliance with a requirement by Immigration that all foreigners residing in the Kingdom report their address every 90 days.

Also arrested and coming up positive in a urine test for methamphetamine use was fellow Ivory Coast player Kone Mohammed, the Thai league’s top-scoring foreign player.

The two Ivorians were among a total of 27 Africans detained by police in the Leap Year Day crackdown at Bangkok’s notorious Soi Nana.

Kone was one of two suspects who had failed a police on-the-spot urine screening.

Fourteen others were detained for not being in possession of their passports; four were booked for having expired visas; and seven, including Abdoul, were unable to verify that they had complied with the 90-day reporting requirement.

Abdoul was reported to have been walking with Kone when police had stopped them for questioning and the drug screen.

Kone, a 28-year-old forward with Thai Premier League powerhouse SCG Muangthong United, denied taking any medication apart from vitamins.

His urine sample was sent to the lab for further analysis, police said.

If tests confirm the results, Kone could faces jail time, a fine, and possible deportation.

A three-time Thai league champion, Kone has scored more goals than any other foreign player in the Thai Premier League.

In 2001 he scored 27 goals for Nakhon Pathom FC.

From 2003 to 2005 he scored 18 goals with Krung Thai Bank.

In 2006, 2007 and 2009 he scored 36 goals for Chonburi FC, followed by another 17 goals with Muangthong United in 2010.

Last season, Muangthong loaned Kone to TOTSC, where he scored 10 goals.

With a three-year contract, Kone was expected to return to Muangthong for the 2012 season.

Abdoul, who played part of last season with FC Phuket on a one-year loan from Muangthong United, was a crowd favorite at Surakul Stadium.