South Korea deports Thai suspect accused of running drug network

South Korean authorities have arrested and deported a Thai national accused of running a vast international narcotics network for more than 25 years, Seoul’s intelligence agency said on April 7.

The 44-year-old suspect was detained at a hotel in southern Seoul on April 6 and deported to Thailand earlier the following day at the request of Thailand’s Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB), according to the National Intelligence Service (NIS), Yonhap reports.

Thai authorities allege that the suspect oversaw the distribution of massive quantities of illegal drugs across multiple countries, including 11.5 tons of methamphetamine, 271 million yaba pills and 5 tons of ketamine.

“The size is unprecedented for a single organization,” an NIS official said.

The NIS said the volume of methamphetamine attributed to the network could supply up to 380 million users, with an estimated value of 4.6 trillion won (US$3.1 billion).

According to the agency, the suspect entered South Korea legally using a passport issued by a third country and had been residing in Seoul’s Gangnam district.

Thai authorities have issued around 50 arrest warrants for the suspect over the past decade. Despite this, he is believed to have continued directing criminal operations while evading law enforcement, Thai officials said.

Further investigations are expected to continue in Thailand following his deportation.

By Sabina Mammadli