Thai immigration police will deport two Swedish nationals wanted in their homeland for committing crimes and fleeing to “paradise” to enjoy their illicit earnings, a senior police official said on Tuesday.
Norgen Karl Anders, 34, and Stig Joren Joakim, 44, were arrested in Thailand’s Phuket beach resort, 650 kilometers south of Bangkok, on June 14, after the Swedish embassy confirmed that both men faced arrest warrants in Sweden for past crimes.
Anders faces charges of smuggling alcohol concentrate into Sweden in 2003 and avoiding 2.6 million dollars worth of taxes, while Joakim faces charges of importing 50 kilograms of methamphetamines from the Netherlands last year.
Both men, married to Thai women, have had their passports revoked by Sweden and thus may be deported from Thailand without legal complications.
“Thailand has become a paradise for criminals to hide in,” Thai Immigration Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Suwat Thamrongsrisakul said at a press conference.
“We will investigate any foreigner married to a Thai, who shows suspicious behavior, by contacting their embassy and finding out if they have criminal records,” he warned.
