Phuket –
A wanted New Zealander was arrested at Phuket International Airport after he escaped from Thailand 15 years ago and decided to risk returning.
Our previous story:
A wanted man in Pattaya was arrested at the Phuket International Airport.
Now for the update:
The Phuket Immigration Department released more details of the case on Thursday (October 26th). The suspect was later identified only as Mr. Freeman, 40, a New Zealand national. He arrived at Phuket International Airport in the international terminal from Singapore.
Freeman was temporarily released after the Pattaya Provincial Court issued an order giving him bail 15 years ago, in roughly 2008. The court order had stipulated that he was banned from exiting the country. He was accused of illegal possession of Category 1 drugs.
Phuket Immigration noted that there is no detail in the biometric system that Freeman had exited from the country and is believed to have illegally crossed a natural land border and fled in or around 2008.
It is believed Freeman thought that as so much time had passed since the incident that he could return under a fresh passport and not be denied entry, however, Phuket Immigration took him into custody for both the prior charges and for evidently fleeing the country while on bail.
