Phuket –
In a big operation showing Thailand’s commitment to combating transnational crime, the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) under the Ministry of Justice, working in close coordination with Immigration Police, has arrested a major South Korean drug trafficker hiding in a luxury villa in Phuket. The suspect, identified only as Mr. Kim, was wanted under an INTERPOL Red Notice and had been evading capture for over two years.
The raid, hailed as a “flagship success” of international intelligence cooperation, was carried out under the directive of ONCB Secretary-General Pol. Lt. Col. Suriya Singhamon. Acting on intelligence shared by three top South Korean agencies, the National Intelligence Service (NIS), Supreme Prosecutors’ Office (SPO), and Korean National Police Agency (KNPA), Thai authorities tracked Mr. Kim’s movements and confirmed he had entered Thailand illegally in December 2023.
Led by ONCB’s Director of Drug Suppression, Kanisorn Phapeeranon, Thai officers joined forces with Immigration Police Phuket, Special Operations Division, Provincial Police Region 8 investigators, Phuket City Police, and the Phuket Narcotics Suppression Unit. The joint task force stormed the villa and arrested Mr. Kim along with several South Korean associates.
Authorities seized:
- 300 grams of ketamine
- 100 grams of crystal methamphetamine (ice)
- Computers and vacuum-sealing equipment
- Drug paraphernalia
- Multiple luxury brand-name items
Investigators revealed that Mr. Kim had been using Thailand as a command base, operating as the administrator of a Telegram group called “Mugwajang.” Through this platform, he recruited couriers, covering their airfare to Bangkok before directing them to collect narcotics in Phuket or Pattaya. Couriers then smuggled drugs back to South Korea using extreme concealment methods. Records show the syndicate recently trafficked over 2 kilograms of methamphetamine and 1.6 kilograms of ketamine into South Korea.
The syndicate’s online footprint was exposed by investigative YouTube channel Crimenet, which linked the Telegram account “Villian” to Mr. Kim. Following his arrest, ONCB sent audio recordings of his preliminary interrogation to forensic labs in South Korea. Voice analysis confirmed that Mr. Kim and “Villian” were the same person. Notably, the “Mugwajang” Telegram channel ceased activity immediately after his capture.
Mr. Kim now faces multiple charges in Thailand, including:
- Possession of Category 1 and 2 narcotics without authorization
- Consumption of methamphetamine
- Immigration violations, having overstayed his visa by 733 days
Thai and South Korean authorities have pledged to continue intelligence-sharing to dismantle the remaining network and pursue asset seizures linked to the syndicate.
