New Zealand biker arrested in Thailand for running drugs racket - he opened businesses in Phuket with Thai wife

[webfact]

Daily News Thai Caption: Fled (case) to hide out in Thailand

 

Crime Suppression Division police in Thailand along with legal representatives from the FBI and New Zealand police announced the arrest of an international drug trafficker hiding out in Thailand.

 

He is 43 year old Shane Ngakuru, a New Zealand national and member of the Comanchero motorcycle club, an outlaw gang from Australia. 

 

The Thai police had been contacted by their counterparts in New Zealand and America after Ngakuru was named in a warrant issued in June 2021 for racketeering and conspiracy to deal internationally in drugs.

The Thai police said that he had arrived on his latest visit around 2020 but was now on overstay. It was discovered that he was living in Phuket. 

 

On the holiday island in the south of Thailand he opened various businesses with his Thai wife to hide his drug dealing.

 

These included a restaurant, tattoo store, fitness center and food supplement business. 

 

When he realised that he had been named in a warrant he fled Phuket and rented a room in Samut Prakan to the south east of Bangkok.

 

Picture: Daily News

 

He was traced to a shopping center in Lat Krabang, Bangkok, where he was arrested.

 

Considerable evidence was found at his address. He admitted he was on overstay in Thailand and that it was him named in the warrant.

 

He will face charges in both the US and NZ.

 

Daily News further reported that in 2011 the suspect was arrested in Australia after it was discovered that he was mixed up in the import and export of drugs such as cocaine and crystal meth. 

 

He was jailed in New Zealand and after his release in 2014 left to set up his businesses in Thailand and continue his drug dealing ways. 

 

-- © Copyright  ASEAN NOW 2022-10-20

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more!

 

Get your business in front of millions of customers who read ASEAN NOW with an interest in Thailand every month - email [email protected] for more information

[marcusb]

Pffft must be fake news. How could he be on a 2 year overstay?  I thought 90 day reports insured good guys in bad guys out.  

[bamnutsak]

"Good guys in, bad guys out."

 

"Really bad guys in".

 

The sheer volume of international criminals in Thailand at any moment is staggering.

 

I'd mark it down to incompetence, but even Thais couldn't be that incompetent. It's corruption.

 

 

[Mr Meeseeks]

2 minutes ago, bamnutsak said:

I'd mark it down to incompetence, but even Thais couldn't be that incompetent. It's corruption.

It's both. 

 

11 minutes ago, webfact said:

He was jailed in New Zealand and after his release in 2014 left to set up his businesses in Thailand and continue his drug dealing ways. 

Allegedly. He has not been found guilty of any subsequent offences yet.

[swerve]

Well that's him gone from LOS for 10 years after a holiday at the IDC.  

[Lemsta69]

2 minutes ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

Allegedly. He has not been found guilty of any subsequent offences yet.

just being a bikie is sufficient grounds for immediate deportation.  send him back to NZ and let them seem with him. ABAB.

[Lemsta69]

3 minutes ago, swerve said:

Well that's him gone from LOS for 10 years after a holiday at the IDC.  

gone for life one hopes!

[jacko45k]

Good riddance......

[Orinoco]

3 minutes ago, Lemsta69 said:

just being a bikie is sufficient grounds for immediate deportation.  send him back to NZ and let them seem with him. ABAB.

Just get rid of the one percenters and all there Criminal mates, would be a good start.

 

 

 

[Lemsta69]

Just now, Orinoco said:

Just get rid of the one percenters and all there Criminal mates, would be enough.

 

oh, that's what "bikies" means in Australia, the one percenters or OMCG: Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs. 

 

at least that's what I learnt growing up. I first heard about how awful these people are when the news of the Milperra bikie massacre in 1984.

[lujanit]

Funny how Thais arrest farang and not Thais involved in importation and selling of drugs.  Immigration police and army people are way more likely to participate in illegal drug running than foreigners.  Fat brown packets helps.

 

Anyway good that they caught another drug runner.

[brianthainess]

He looks like such an upstanding character wearing the obligatory singlet to show his tats and muscles, proving what a hard man he must be. ???????? ban him for life please.

[gomangosteen]

The NZ news version - full item at link:

 

Comancheros member wanted in global drug sting arrested in Thailand
Oct 19 2022

 

The cousin of a Comancheros boss who has evaded police for a number of years has been arrested in Thailand on drugs charges.

 

Shane Elwood Ngakuru has been named as a co-defendant of a number of people facing charges in New Zealand.

 

Detective Inspector Paul Newman confirmed Ngakuru, who is also a Comancheros member, had been arrested in Thailand following a joint operation involving the FBI and Thai Police.

 

 

[Berkshire]

42 minutes ago, lujanit said:

Funny how Thais arrest farang and not Thais involved in importation and selling of drugs. 

 

Where on Earth did you ever get that idea?  Thais are arrested all the time for drug trafficking.

[gomangosteen]

2 hours ago, swerve said:

Well that's him gone from LOS for 10 years after a holiday at the IDC.  

New Zealand does not have an extradition treaty with Thailand, seems unlikely they'll need to deport him as USA / FBI get him first, and a Thai news source claims he has already been handed over to the FBI:

 

"The FBI considers Shane Ngakuru a "fugitive". If arrested and convicted in the United States he faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment."

[Andrew65]

42 minutes ago, gomangosteen said:

New Zealand does not have an extradition treaty with Thailand, seems unlikely they'll need to deport him as USA / FBI get him first, and a Thai news source claims he has already been handed over to the FBI:

 

"The FBI considers Shane Ngakuru a "fugitive". If arrested and convicted in the United States he faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment."

Probably do a long stretch in a Thai prison first?!

[deesquared]

*checks to be sure he is not American* Good! Good riddance to that farang scum!

[Neeranam]

Ban all these muppets that wear gang colours. 

Australia did the right thing banning the colours. 

[Jonathan Swift]

4 hours ago, lujanit said:

Funny how Thais arrest farang and not Thais involved in importation and selling of drugs.  Immigration police and army people are way more likely to participate in illegal drug running than foreigners.  Fat brown packets helps.

 

Anyway good that they caught another drug runner.

Oh, another whiner about the terrible prejudice and "racism" against farang. 

[kuzmabruk]

5 hours ago, bamnutsak said:

The sheer volume of international criminals in Thailand at any moment is staggering.

Is this information that was provided to you by the Thai police or are you getting this information from InterPol?  Either way I am impressed that you are allowed to share it with us. 

[BusyB]

"...director of the New Zealand Police’s national organised crime group, previously said transnational groups were preying on vulnerable people."

 

He talking about Goldman-Sachs?

[gomangosteen]

2 hours ago, Andrew65 said:

Probably do a long stretch in a Thai prison first?!

Why? No alleged crime here other than the overstay.

Suggest they'd be happy to see the FBI take him back to USA to face the racketeering charges. 

Though he'll have the $ resources to prolong the process.

[Jackbenimble]

A serious rap sheet upon entry to The Land of Smiles didn't seem to hinder his progress through passport control. Be interesting to know if he entered as a tourist or on a Non-B and why his criminal record didn't trigger any alarm bells. 

[BostonRob2]

6 hours ago, Lemsta69 said:

just being a bikie is sufficient grounds for immediate deportation.  send him back to NZ and let them seem with him. ABAB.

Being a bikie I kind of disagree. But he should be deported for those tattoos. 

 

Rooster

[Ginner]

6 hours ago, marcusb said:

Pffft must be fake news. How could he be on a 2 year overstay?  I thought 90 day reports insured good guys in bad guys out.  

Funny how they can find a 60 year old granny on overstay and send 10 of RTP best to arrest her, but they couldn't find this guy after 2 years, until NZ police got involved and then low and behold they TRACED him to a shopping mall in less than 2 weeks. Ha!

[mberbae]

HOW can he realize he was named in a warrant ?

[Dont confuse me]

Makes me smile when people looking like him think they will be inconspicuous in Thailand! Only way he's survived is envelopes going in the right direction.

[rwill]

The fact that they found him without him doing 90 day reports shows that  they aren't really needed.

[Clarkey611]

Now wouldn't it be wonderful for the Thai Police if some overseas forces could help with the capture of a Police Killer on the run?

[bamnutsak]

2 hours ago, kuzmabruk said:

Is this information that was provided to you by the Thai police or are you getting this information from InterPol?  Either way I am impressed that you are allowed to share it with us. 

 

Just following the news reports of foreign criminals, who've fled their home countries with outstanding warrants or those who've jumped bail, arrested here. Seems like it's a weekly occurrence. Usually they're high profile, organized crime figures with internaitonal notices out. They seem to waltz into Thailand and go about their business.

 

No need to be impressed.