Thalang Restaurant Raided: Russians and Thai Nominee Arrested

Thalang, Phuket:

In a recent operation, Region 8 Police conducted a raid on a restaurant located in Cherng Talay. The establishment, known as OCTOPUS Restaurant, has been at the center of attention due to its substantial revenue—approximately 80 million baht.

According to Region 8 police, the raid took place on Thursday, April 4th. Authorities apprehended four individuals during the operation: Ms. Punyanuch, a Thai national, and three Russians—Mr. Valadislav, Mr. Valerii, and Mr. Pavel.

The restaurant had been officially registered as a company under Ms. Punyanuch’s name, with her holding the majority of shares. However, further investigation revealed that Ms. Punyanuch merely served as a nominee for the companies true Russian owners, who according to Region 8 police were trying to dodge Thai law by using a Thai as a fake owner. Ms. Punyanuch lacked the authority to manage its operations, police added.

The true owner of the restaurant and company is Mr. Valadislav, said Region 8 police. All profits were funneled directly to him, resulting in the impressive revenue of 80 million baht.

The suspects did not release a statement to the media.

Related articles:

The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) has conducted raids on 17 companies in Phuket amid suspicions that Thai nationals have been acting as illegal nominees for Russian individuals who are suspected of being the true business owners.

The Thai police are investigating vehicle rental businesses in the Thalang district for potential illegal practices. The inquiry, led by Region 8 Police Commander Lieutenant Colonel Suraphong Thanomjit, focuses on the suspicion that foreign business owners might be using Thai citizens as stand-ins to meet legal requirements.

The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) raided an accounting and law company in Chalong for allegedly being an illegal network nominee for foreigners with a hundred million baht of total damages.