KOH SAMUI — Thai Immigration police have arrested a Russian man who was wanted in Phuket for allegedly advertising online drug sales, a scheme that used QR codes on public stickers to direct tourists to an illegal narcotics network.
Semion (27), a Russian national, was apprehended on Koh Samui after fleeing an arrest warrant issued by the Phuket Provincial Court. Authorities had tracked him to a hotel on the island where he was staying after November 4.
The investigation was initiated after social media posts alerted police to stickers promoting an online drug network named “THAIHUB.” The stickers, which were allegedly posted on utility poles and in tourist areas of Phuket, featured a QR code and an image of a woman holding a bag of white powder, resembling cocaine, used to advertise the sale of various narcotics.
The Arrest and Investigation
Immigration Police in Surat Thani, collaborating with Region 8 Provincial Police and anti-narcotics agents, located Semion at a hotel. Upon seeing the police, he reportedly fled out the back of the property but was quickly pursued and detained.
A search of his hotel room yielded a large number of the advertising stickers in a drawer. Authorities also recovered photographs on his mobile phone that showed him placing the stickers in public areas, which he allegedly used to report his work to an employer.
During questioning, Semion claimed he was recruited through a Telegram dark market chat group, popular within the Russian community. He alleged the group’s administrators sent him the advertising stickers via private courier for him to distribute.
Semion stated he was paid $1 (USDT) per sticker placed, with funds transferred directly to his cryptocurrency wallet. He claimed to have carried out the advertising work for three days, earning a total of $300 (USDT).
Arresting officers expressed skepticism regarding the suspect’s claims and plan to broaden the investigation into the full extent of the online drug trafficking network. Semion has been initially charged with advertising narcotics without permission and was handed over to investigators at Cherng Talay Police Station in Phuket for legal proceedings.
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