BANGKOK, THAILAND – Thai border police arrested a Canadian national at Suvarnabhumi Airport, stopping him at the last moment as he allegedly tried to flee the country.
Major operation at the airport
Officers from the immigration authority surrounded 37-year-old En Gie Wesli Wai Tschun in the departure hall. The Canadian had been standing in the check-in queue for a flight to Malaysia when police moved in. Many passengers reportedly watched the dramatic operation unfold.
Police then searched the suspect and all his luggage thoroughly for banned substances. Officers did not find any current drugs during the inspection. However, they immediately placed him in handcuffs because an international arrest warrant had been issued for him.
Flight from the holiday resort
Before his arrest, the alleged drug smuggler had gone into hiding in a rented house in the resort city of Pattaya. He had entered Thailand only a few days earlier on a tourist visa. Police had already been close behind him and were monitoring his movements.
When the suspect called a taxi and sped along the highway toward Bangkok, investigators began their pursuit. The officers believed he would try to escape abroad. The trap finally closed on him at Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Drugs bound for South Korea
The man had been urgently sought for years by authorities in South Korea. He was considered a key figure in a network that shipped chemical drugs worldwide. One particular offense in 2017 reportedly led investigators to him.
At that time, he allegedly sent a parcel containing 20,000 Ecstasy tablets by courier service to Busan. The South Korean police then called in Interpol. Since then, the Canadian had appeared on the list of most-wanted criminals with a so-called Red Notice.
Deportation in handcuffs
The arrested man was being held in Thailand’s capital as preparations were made for his departure. Thai authorities were working closely with their South Korean counterparts. He was expected to be handed over to the South Korean justice system as quickly as possible.
He faced a tough trial there on charges of commercial trafficking of narcotic drugs. Investigators were also examining whether he had established any further contacts with local drug gangs during his stay in Thailand. The rented house in Pattaya was still under investigation by police.