Cops Say No Country Responds to ‘Boss Red Bull’ Extradition Call

Red Bull
In this April 5, 2017, file photo, Vorayuth "Boss" Yoovidhya, whose grandfather co-founded energy drink company Red Bull, walks to get in a car as he leaves a house in London. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)

BANGKOK — Police on Tuesday said they are still working to bring back Red Bull heir Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya to face justice in Thailand for the fatal car crash in 2012, though the extradition attempt is going nowhere.

Assistant national police commissioner Jaruwat Waisaya, who oversees the investigation into Vorayuth, said there have been no words from any of the 194 members of the Interpol since Thai police issued a request asking for information on Vorayuth’s whereabouts in October.

“No one responded to our request,” Lt. Gen. Jaruwat said by phone. “I will ask investigators to send out another request next week. We can’t really push them since it’s the discretion of each country to act upon our request.”

Thai police maintained that it does not know the whereabouts of Vorayuth, whose family co-owns the Red Bull energy drink empire. In October, reports emerged that Vorayuth was sighted in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, though police still could not verify the claim.

Advertisement

“We already asked UAE authorities for confirmation, but there’s also no response,” Jaruwat said.

It has been three months since the Interpol issued the Red Notice for Vorayuth in September, which would supposedly notify police forces around the world to locate and detain him for extradition back to Thailand.

The notice could not be found on Interpol’s public database as of publication time. An error message displayed on the website says “the Notices are currently unavailable due to technical maintenance of the system.”

Vorayuth is wanted for hitting and killing a policeman, Sgt. Maj. Wichian Klanprasert, with his Ferrari in 2012. The case never made it to the court. He is believed to reside overseas ever since he fled the country in 2017, just days before the first arrest warrant was issued against him.

Advertisement

Investigation went silent for years until July, when the news broke that the prosecutor decided not to indict Vorayuth of the charges due to the lack of evidence – a revelation that drew public outrage over what appeared to a culture of impunity for the rich and the powerful.

He currently stands accused of two charges – fatal reckless driving and cocaine abuse – two other offenses that were brought against him already expired in 2013 and 2017.

The statute of limitation of the latest charges will expire on Sept. 3, 2027.