Cameroonian man wanted for drug smuggling caught in Bangkok ⁰

Thai Immigration police arrested a 40-year-old a Cameroonian man wanted by Interpol for international drug trafficking after he evaded authorities for more than a year while living illegally in the capital.

Acting on intelligence that a Cameroonian national was overstaying his visa and potentially involved in drug trafficking, Pol. Lt. Gen. Panthana Nuchanart, Deputy Commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, launched an investigation into a suspect using the alias “Emmanuel.”

Immigration records revealed Emmanuel entered Thailand on a 60-day tourist visa that had expired. Further checks confirmed he was wanted on an Interpol warrant for smuggling 19 kilograms of narcotics via courier to South Korea. He had been living in Bangkok since 2016.

Officers located Emmanuel on Phetchaburi Road near his hotel and arrested him without incident. Speaking fluent Thai, he acknowledged being the person named in the warrant and admitted his visa had expired.

Despite denying drug involvement, a search of his hotel room uncovered drug paraphernalia, one 9mm pistol, two modified blank guns, a modified .38 caliber magazine, and nearly 80 rounds of ammunition in various calibers. Officers also seized over 2 grams of crystal methamphetamine, 1 gram of MDMA, and one methamphetamine pill.

Emmanuel claimed the weapons were pawned by a Thai friend and that the drugs belonged to acquaintances who used his room to consume narcotics. However, a hospital urine test returned positive for methamphetamine. He then admitted to using crystal meth but said he hadn’t consumed it for one day.

He faces charges of overstaying his visa, illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, illegal possession of Category 1 narcotics, and drug consumption.

Source: Khaosod English