PATTAYA — Another South Korean drug suspect has been arrested by Thai police while hiding in Pattaya, marking the fifth such arrest this year.
In this case, the South Korean National Police Agency informed the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) about the activities of Mr. Seo, 44, a fugitive wanted on drug charges in South Korea. He was suspected of supplying methamphetamine from Thailand to South Korea.
Subsequently, Mr. Prin Mekanant, Director of the Narcotics Suppression Bureau, ordered an investigative team to track him down. On October 3, Seo was found staying at a hotel in Pattaya, Bang Lamung District, Chonburi Province. The ONCB cooperated with the Immigration Bureau, the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office of Korea (SPO), the National Intelligence Service of the Republic of Korea (NIS), and the National Police Agency of the Republic of Korea to arrest him on October 4.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Phanurat Lakboon, Secretary-General of the ONCB, stated that Seo was involved in a case from December 2023 when Korean authorities seized an international parcel sent from Thailand containing methamphetamine hidden in coffee and bean bags.
Korean authorities later arrested the parcel recipient, who implicated Seo as the drug supplier. They then issued an arrest warrant and learned that Seo had fled to Thailand.
The ONCB informed the Immigration Bureau that Seo was an undesirable person due to his involvement in drug activities, which affects national security, and requested consideration for visa cancellation. However, the Immigration Bureau found that Seo had already overstayed his visa, allowing for immediate arrest.
The cooperation between the ONCB, SPO, and NIS in exchanging information about transnational drug traffickers has yielded results. In 2023, seven Korean drug suspects were arrested, and in 2024, five have been arrested so far.
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