Two Russians arrested, set to be deported

POLICE have arrested two Russians in the tourist provinces of Phuket and Krabi in response to arrest warrants issued by Russia. 

Roman Ledenev, 33, is wanted for alleged drug possession while Alexander Bukharov, 42, is wanted for alleged human smuggling. 

The two Russians had lived in Thailand for nearly two years when the arrests took place last Friday. 

“Russia’s Interpol unit has contacted us about these two suspects,” Assistant National Police Commissioner Pol Lt General Suchart Thirasawat said yesterday. 

Available information showed Bukharov had gone into hiding in Phuket while Ledenev had been living on Krabi’s Phi Phi Island for about two years, Suchart said. 

The two suspects had confessed that Russian authorities were seeking their arrest, police said. 

“As Russia has already revoked their passports, we have now cancelled their visas to Thailand,” Suchart said.

The arrests of the two men, Tourism Police Division’s commander Pol Maj General Surachet Hakparn said, reaffirmed the Thai government’s policy to crack down on transnational criminal gangs and criminals who have been trying to find a safe haven in Thailand. 

Pol Maj General Apichat Suriboonya, the commander of Foreign Affairs Division, Royal Thai Police, said Thailand’s immigration system had not yet been linked to Interpol’s database of stolen or revoked passports. Some foreigners had managed to sneak into Thailand as a result of the problem.

“Interpol’s database contains about 47 million cancelled or stolen passports,” he said. 

Apichart, however, emphasised that Thailand was working to gain access to the Interpol’s database soon. 

“With the link, immigration officials will be able to check a passport with the database in just 0.03 seconds,” he said, adding that a signing ceremony regarding the collaboration would take place in the coming week. 

Apichart refused to say how many foreign criminal suspects Thailand is currently monitoring or trying to track down. 

Ledenev and Bukharov were sent from Phuket to Bangkok yesterday. 

Police will contact Russian police to arrange their deportation.