The following is our weekly feature in which we highlight the top local stories in our area of Phuket from the past week. The number of stories differs from week to week.
These are chosen and curated by our editorial team and are designed for our readers to get a quick “catch-up” of important stories they may have missed. We publish many stories daily and it is easy to lose track of important events or changes in our area. We do national recaps in a separate article, this is only the top local stories in Phuket.
They are in no particular order of importance but roughly in order of publishing. These are from Monday, Monday February 10th to Sunday February 16th, 2024.
- Cyber Crime Investigation Police arrested four European suspects on Monday, February 10th, 2025. The arrests were made following what police say was a sophisticated cyber operation that defrauded over a thousand victims worldwide of an estimated 560 million Baht in cyber ransom payments.
Phuket Police Arrest Four European Hackers Linked to Global Cyber Ransom Scam
They face charges in both Switzerland and the United States, where they are accused of “Conspiracy to Commit an Offense Against the United States” and “Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud.”
2. Three Taiwanese nationals and three Thai suspects have been arrested in Phuket after they were found to have allegedly been connected to a large online gambling network in Thailand.
Payment routes from the online gambling networks which showed them to have generated at least 10 million Baht per day.
3. A Nigerian cocaine seller was arrested in Thalang.
He bought the drugs for 2,000 Baht per bag in a total of 12 bags. He claimed he already sold some for 3,000 Baht per bag.
4. A Turkish man who was on an international Interpol red notice was arrested in Phuket.
He is being accused of carrying a gun and ammunition in public without permission.
5. A French motorbike rider was arrested in Kamala for reckless driving after a video of him riding in a “superman” gesture went viral on social media.
French Rider Arrested in Kamala for Reckless Driving – VIDEO
His case was handled by the court, which sentenced him to two months of imprisonment with a two-year suspended sentence and fined him 6,000 Baht.
That’s it for this week. Be safe!
