Pictures courtesy of Daily News

Immigration police have arrested a Swedish national wanted under an Interpol Red Notice on serious drug charges after locating him at a condominium in Hua Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan province. The suspect, identified as Mr Noa, had been hiding in Thailand for about one year after fleeing Sweden, according to authorities. His arrest led to the immediate revocation of his permission to stay in the Kingdom and his detention under immigration law.

The operation was carried out on 17 January at around 10am following intelligence that a high-profile foreign drug suspect was living in the Hua Hin area. Officers from Immigration Bureau 3, acting under the direction of Pol Lt Gen Phanumart Boonyalak, Commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, and senior commanders including Pol Maj Gen Phanthana Nuchanart and Pol Maj Gen Songprod Sirisukha, entered the condominium and took the suspect into custody. At the time of arrest, he was reportedly confused, partially dressed and attempted to deny his identity.

The case originated from complaints by residents near the condominium earlier this month about a foreign man who rarely left his room but was alleged to smoke cannabis inside, causing strong odours that disturbed neighbours. Immigration investigators traced the individual, noting a large tattoo on his neck as a key identifying feature. Checks of his name and passport details against international law enforcement databases confirmed he was the subject of an Interpol Red Notice.

Authorities stated that Mr Noa is wanted in Sweden for major drug offences involving cocaine, amphetamines, and cannabis. He is also accused of driving under the influence of drugs at high speed, driving against traffic, posing a danger to the public and possessing a firearm without authorisation. After allegedly committing these offences, he fled Sweden and entered Thailand, where he remained in hiding.

On 16 January, officials determined that the suspect posed a threat to public safety and formally proposed revoking his stay permit. Pol Maj Gen Songprod approved the revocation on the same day. Despite the suspect’s claims that he was thinner and had shorter hair than the person named in the warrant, biometric checks, including verification of the distinctive neck tattoo, confirmed his identity.

Daily News reported that Immigration police have now taken Mr Noa into custody to proceed under Thailand’s immigration laws. Further steps will follow in accordance with legal procedures involving foreign fugitives.

Key Takeaways

• Thai immigration police arrested a Swedish man wanted under an Interpol Red Notice in Hua Hin on 17 January.

• Biometric checks, including a neck tattoo, confirmed his identity despite initial denial.

• His permission to stay in Thailand has been revoked, and he is being held under immigration law.

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Adapted by ASEAN Now from Dailynews 2026-01-19

 

 

Not exactly "staying under the radar".

Thats a terrible dab rig.

The case originated from complaints by residents near the condominium earlier this month about a foreign man who rarely left his room but was alleged to smoke cannabis inside, causing strong odours that disturbed neighbours.

How not to keep a low profile... dumb-ass

19 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

The case originated from complaints by residents near the condominium earlier this month about a foreign man who rarely left his room but was alleged to smoke cannabis inside, causing strong odours that disturbed neighbours.

How not to keep a low profile... dumb-ass

Yep this Swede must have the brain of a turnip if the thougt he could go to another country on the run , upset the locals and then believe he would talk his way out of it when caught with a large neck tattoo. He will be vegetating in the immigration lock up for a while now I would say.

You wonder why guys like this are not picked up on arrival at immigration if a country has a outstanding arrest warrant on them

I would have thought he would have been red flagged on arrival

Red flag fugitive and not keeping a low profile.. stupid.

Why not arrested when entering the Kingdom one year ago? Did they flag him red after entering Thailand? In that case why didn't all the bells and whistles in the RTP Immigrations eminent system tell that they have a high profile fugitive staying in the country since he apparently were travelling with his real passport.

How could he hide one year before they arrested him? And they found him because he didn't keep a low profile.

The Immigration police says they have a profile for everyone ever entering the country, how many times we have been here, how long time we have stayed, if we have overstay, where we have lived and where we live, etc. If that was the case they would have arrested this moron long time ago, but that's probably just a dream.

2 minutes ago, shackleton said:

You wonder why guys like this are not picked up on arrival at immigration if a country has a outstanding arrest warrant on them

I would have thought he would have been red flagged on arrival

You would think so, unless he had a false passport.

Some truly industrial strength, quick-to-the-chase detective work at play here, that is. So, he’s a high-grade criminal who made it onto Interpol’s most wanted list for drugs and firearms back in Sweden, then enters Thailand nonchalantly on a visa, stays there on said visa unnoticed for nearly a year, and the only thing his local neighbors notice about him is the smell of weed because, well, they don’t like it. The police, being the sharpest of minds and acting on his neighbors complaints, decide to pay him a "friendly visit," check his visa and passport just for fun, and, well, wouldn’t you know it folks, realize he’s under an Interpol Red Notice and arrest him. Next, they revoke his visa and prepare to deport him back to Sweden, then make a media spectacle as if they’d been hunting this high-level Interpol fugitive all along, were about to swoop him anyway, and somehow they end up with an arrest photo showing all his weed on the table as if it is legally relevant, which, shocker, isn’t illegal to possess in Thailand. Truly the finest law enforcement abilities that money can buy.

How embarrassing, getting arrested while wearing elephant pants.

A real dipstick.

Ah. Hua Hin for a change.

29 minutes ago, shackleton said:

You wonder why guys like this are not picked up on arrival at immigration if a country has a outstanding arrest warrant on them

I would have thought he would have been red flagged on arrival

Maybe the Red notice was issued after he had left his home country and they realised he'd absconded.

Then issued the notice?

I guess this Swede got an end to living the dream in Thailand. Many screws lose on that guy! Good news, though!

5 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

identified as Mr Noa,

I Noah bloke...wasnt him but.

OPERATION NOAH - A NATIONAL PHONE-IN CAMPAIGN AGAINST DRUGS Australia 🙃

1 hour ago, shackleton said:

You wonder why guys like this are not picked up on arrival at immigration if a country has a outstanding arrest warrant on them

I would have thought he would have been red flagged on arrival

Not if the notice wasn't issued when he arrived

Meantime mr red bull continues to enjoy his freedom after killing a cop while hoped up on cocaine.

Maybe the swede just didn't understand how many big envelopes need to be distributed.

1 hour ago, shackleton said:

You wonder why guys like this are not picked up on arrival at immigration if a country has a outstanding arrest warrant on them

I would have thought he would have been red flagged on arrival

I guess that he left Sweden after committing the crimes and before the Interpol notice was issued.

6 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

After allegedly committing these offences, he fled Sweden and entered Thailand, where he remained in hiding.

Noah's Ark has has now sunk.

Must have got ABBA mixed up with YABA 🤣

And the good news is........he wasn't British.

Looks like we had a good week last week.

Not great idea when trying to remain anonymous. Nothing like drawing attention to himself by being a recluse and smoking weed and assuming the other residents wouldn’t notice.

3 hours ago, Alpha84 said:

Some truly industrial strength, quick-to-the-chase detective work at play here, that is. So, he’s a high-grade criminal who made it onto Interpol’s most wanted list for drugs and firearms back in Sweden, then enters Thailand nonchalantly on a visa, stays there on said visa unnoticed for nearly a year, and the only thing his local neighbors notice about him is the smell of weed because, well, they don’t like it. The police, being the sharpest of minds and acting on his neighbors complaints, decide to pay him a "friendly visit," check his visa and passport just for fun, and, well, wouldn’t you know it folks, realize he’s under an Interpol Red Notice and arrest him. Next, they revoke his visa and prepare to deport him back to Sweden, then make a media spectacle as if they’d been hunting this high-level Interpol fugitive all along, were about to swoop him anyway, and somehow they end up with an arrest photo showing all his weed on the table as if it is legally relevant, which, shocker, isn’t illegal to possess in Thailand. Truly the finest law enforcement abilities that money can buy.

True. I do wonder why every red notice issued by interpol isn’t cross checked by RTPagainst foreigners staying in Thailand. At least it would identify those who enter under their real names

4 hours ago, kiwikeith said:

You would think so, unless he had a false passport.

Good point. That comment raises the question. If a person is on a Red alert and clearly the country that requests he be arrested must as a minimum send a clear picture of that person. Then would not one assume whether or not it was a false passport it would still require his real face as he enters a country and goes through a customs check and should not the system such as Thailand where as you enter and they do take a photo of you anyway and it's auto cross checking your face to any Red alerts?

Or is this photo process a pretence to show that Thailand is very sophisticated in checking for incoming criminals?

I'm starting to believe its the latter comment I have made. 😃

9 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

noting a large tattoo on his neck as a key identifying feature

The country that once produced VIKINGS is reduced into neck tattoo losers who veg on pot at home. I've met other Swedes in places like Phuket - and yes - neck tattoos. Really any tattoo on neck or face means 100% useless human being. What visa was he on? DTV?

Once again the good old red notice you think they would put a red notice on the Red Bull kit who killed the cop oh wait they don’t want to do that they’ll wait for the statue of limitations in Thailand runs out then he’ll be welcome to the airport with his new Ferrari TIT

So, A Red Notice he still manages to enter Thailand, ok, naybe Red Notice raised after he entered, but why was it noticed until locals complained, is there no networking between Interpol the thai police and between thai police and immigration... there's something seriously wrong.

Who else is "hiding" in Thailand that the police and immigration don't know about...

7 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

And the good news is........he wasn't British.

Looks like we had a good week last week.

And not a bin dipper also 😱

From a Swedish Meatball to a Swedish Meathead!

14 hours ago, shackleton said:

You wonder why guys like this are not picked up on arrival at immigration if a country has a outstanding arrest warrant on them

I would have thought he would have been red flagged on arrival

It's possible he entered the country before the red notice was filed. Typically that doesn't happen until a person flees.