- Photo: The Nation/ANN
BANGKOK: Thai Immigration announces the arrest of a major international criminal, a French man, who fled after committing the murder of prison guards and helping a prisoner escape while being transferred from court to prison.
He was hiding in Phuket.
Pol Maj Gen Phanthana Nuchanart, Deputy Commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, announced on Thursday (March 27) the arrest of a French national, a member of an international crime syndicate, involved in helping a prisoner escape and the murder of prison officers.
- Photo: The Nation/ANN
The suspect, Adonis, was wanted under a French arrest warrant and an Interpol Red Notice for his role in a serious crime.
On May 14, 2024, he participated in freeing an inmate named Mohamed from a French prison, an incident that led to the death of two prison guards and left three others severely injured.
Mohamed, a key drug trafficking suspect, was being transferred from court to prison when he was freed by a group of six individuals, three of whom were armed.
The attack resulted in the tragic deaths of two prison officers and left three others wounded.
In response to the crime, French police mobilized 120 officers to investigate the case, which is considered a major transnational crime.
Some of the suspects, including Mohamed, fled to Romania, where he was arrested on February 22, 2025. Other suspects have also been arrested.
- Photo: The Nation/ANN
Adonis, one of the co-conspirators, travelled to Thailand prior to the issuance of his arrest warrant by France and the Interpol Red Notice.
The French Embassy's Police and Security Affairs Section in Thailand coordinated with the Royal Thai Police to locate, arrest, and revoke his permission to stay in Thailand, with plans for his extradition to France for legal proceedings.
Following a check of the Immigration Department’s database, Thai police discovered that Adonis, 24, entered Thailand on February 8, 2025, through Phuket International Airport on flight WK50. He was permitted to stay in the kingdom until April 8, 2025.
Further investigation revealed that he was hiding in Kathu District, Phuket.
Officers conducted a search in the area and, on March 26, 2025, successfully apprehended him. He has been detained and is now facing legal action. - The Nation/ANN
