A South Korean drug dealer was detained by Thai police in Pattaya after 70 drug suspects were rounded up and drugs worth roughly 17 million baht were seized.
Today in Pattaya, the Brighton Grand Hotel hosted a press conference where the Thai Immigration Bureau (TIMB) revealed information on the arrest. Officers emphasized that effective cooperation with South Korean authorities was a key factor in the successful detention of the drug dealer from that country.
The TIMB revealed during the press briefing that the Gangnam and Itaewon neighborhoods of Seoul’s narcotics suppression bureau recently underwent major searches on entertainment establishments. As a result of these operations, 70 drug users and distributors were detained, and a variety of substances worth more than 640 million won (17 million baht) in total were seized.
After the operation, the South Korean police learned that Kim Junbeom, a 26-year-old drug dealer for a powerful drug lord in the nation, had managed to escape to Thailand. Further inquiry by Thai officials led to the final location of Junbeom at an opulent Pattaya home.
The police investigation claims that Junbeom personally supplied the drugs to each entertainment establishment after contacting his clients via the Telegram app. The crackdown on the venues served as his excuse to leave for Thailand.
Even though South Korean law enforcement was after him, Junbeom persisted in bringing drugs into the country from Thailand. He shipped boxes from Thailand to South Korea carrying drugs, primarily crystal meth.
When Thailand opened to tourism, international criminals were also permitted entry, according to TIMB Commissioner Parkphumphiphat Satjaphan. The TIMB has put in place more strict regulations and thoroughly investigates all visitors’ criminal histories before allowing them admission.
