French fugitive busted at Phuket Airport over assault charge
A wanted French national thought he could slip into Thailand unnoticed but Phuket’s sharp-eyed immigration and police officers had other plans.
In a dramatic early morning arrest, a 31 year old Frenchman was apprehended at Phuket International Airport yesterday, April 24 at around 7.40am. The arrest was made inside the international arrivals hall, where officers were waiting to intercept him as he entered the country.
The operation was led by Police Lieutenant Colonel Akkaraphon Kaewkiattiyot, Superintendent of the Phuket Immigration Checkpoint, and supported by a joint team including Phuket Airport Immigration investigators and officers from Patong Police Station.
The arrest was made under the supervision of senior officials including Pol. Lt. Col. Ratsarin Thiraphatthanakun and Pol. Lt. Col. Suthirat Thirasawat.
The suspect was found to be wanted under an active arrest warrant for the offence of using force to harm another person without causing physical or mental harm, a charge that, while not involving injury, is still classified under assault-related offences.
Police did not disclose where or when the original offence took place, but confirmed the warrant was issued before he attempted to re-enter Thailand. Immigration systems flagged the man upon arrival, triggering the coordinated arrest at the airport.
Once taken into custody, the French national was immediately transferred to Patong Police Station in Phuket for further legal proceedings, reported The Phuket News.
“This arrest underscores the efficiency of Thailand’s border control systems and the collaboration between immigration officers and local police,” an immigration officer at the scene stated.
Legal proceedings against the suspect are now underway, and further updates are expected following his court appearance.
In similar news, Thai police arrested a broker linked to the Doctor Boon Vanasin network, upon her extradition from China.
The woman was taken into custody at Suvarnabhumi International Airport at 10pm on April 7 after arriving on China Southern Airlines flight CZ361.
She had fled Thailand to evade charges of fraud and deception totalling over 14 billion baht. Police had received numerous complaints against Dr Boon and his associates for offences under the 1991 Cheque Act. The allegations involve fraudulent money borrowing schemes, with total damages estimated at nearly 15 billion baht.
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