Manhunt In Thailand For German Fugitive

[webfact]

Manhunt on for German fugitive
Kwanhathai Malakan
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- The police are hunting for the German fugitive who managed to escape Australian police officers guarding him as they waited for a connecting flight at Suvarnabhumi International Airport early on May 17.



Immigration Police commissioner Pol Lt-General Panu Kerdlarppol said yesterday that police had launched a manhunt for 25-year-old burglary suspect Carlo Konstantin Kohl at various places including Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket. They are also interviewing cabbies at the airport for clues.

Panu said they expect Kohl, a former military officer with some mechanical knowledge who has never been to Thailand, to lay low in the area because he had no access to cash.

Immigration police investigator Pol Colonel Chatchai Eam-Seang said the German Embassy in Bangkok revealed that Kohl had applied for a new passport, claiming his old one was lost, but he did not show up to collect the passport on May 27.

Police have also discovered that he e-mailed his relatives in Germany and they are trying to trace the location from where he sent the e-mails.

Kohl, a burglary suspect, escaped from the airport's "day room" - a waiting room for transit passengers who do not need to go through immigration formalities - while waiting for a delayed transfer flight with two Australian policemen on May 17.


-- The Nation 2013-05-29

[NeverSure]

Sometimes these stories confuse me. He had no access to cash. He just disappears. No info yet from cabbies. He applied for a new passport. He's sending emails.

Is someone helping him?

[webfact]

post removed
if you have nothing to contribute to a thread please don't post and waste our space.
If you have issues with an OP you can use the "report" function.
Thanks
/Admin

[chooka]

He did not escape from Australian Police and he is not a fugitive. The Nation needs to get thier facts correct. They were Australian "Civilian Security Gaurds" who were escorting him and "NOT POLICE" He had served his time in jail and was released and as Australia has said, he can't be charged with escaping from lawful custody because he was not technically in custody. His offence by leaving the airport would be entering without a valid visa but Australia has no jurisdiction there.

[Bellweather]

IN Channel has a slightly different take saying he is ex-German Military and an engineering " expert ". They also said AOT / Immigration officials are worried about security as staff discipline is lax and they tend to open electric doors etc and wedge them open for their convenience.

Most interesting is the claim the fugitive calmly wandered around the airport for a time even having a foot massage and an unnamed witness said he " appeared to be waiting for someone ".

" Curiouser and Curiouser said Alice ".

[bigbamboo]

He did not escape from Australian Police and he is not a fugitive. The Nation needs to get thier facts correct. They were Australian "Civilian Security Gaurds" who were escorting him and "NOT POLICE" He had served his time in jail and was released and as Australia has said, he can't be charged with escaping from lawful custody because he was not technically in custody. His offence by leaving the airport would be entering without a valid visa but Australia has no jurisdiction there.

Lucky he isn't a fugitive. The Thai police don't have much of a success rate with fugitives.

[Payboy]

Sometimes these stories confuse me. He had no access to cash. He just disappears. No info yet from cabbies. He applied for a new passport. He's sending emails.

Is someone helping him?

Not so sure about no access to cash. According to the other paper, he even had a foot massage before escaping.

[scorecard]

He will lay low because he has no cash!

This character has to survive. He will surely be well aware of where / how to steal some cash, anywhere in the world.

Don't be surprised if he's quickly across several borders.

[chooka]

This story also states that he applied for a new German Passport but failed to collect it on Monday. That would indicate that one was granted which I find very hard to believe. What forms of Identification did he use and and where did he make the application. How did he pay it, they are not cheap. (maybe he had his resettlement money from the Aust taxpayer) If he was actually in custody as the Nation claim and contrary to Aust Govt claims then his travel docs and I.D would be in the hands of the security gaurds. if he is wanted in Germany I doubt that he would have been grated a passport.

Edited May 29, 2013 by chooka

[NongKhaiKid]

Unless this story hasn't been twisted out of all recognition, or even a little, it's hard to imagine someone who has just slipped away from sleeping escorts who could waken at anytime and raise the alarm is wandering calmly around Swampy even getting his feet massaged. I suppose it could be a mistake since all farang look alike and the suggestion he looked as if he was waiting for someone may be a telling point.

If he was waiting for someone I bet his getaway driver was Thai and late, " sorry, sorry, very traffic ".

[chooka]

Unless this story hasn't been twisted out of all recognition, or even a little, it's hard to imagine someone who has just slipped away from sleeping escorts who could waken at anytime and raise the alarm is wandering calmly around Swampy even getting his feet massaged. I suppose it could be a mistake since all farang look alike and the suggestion he looked as if he was waiting for someone may be a telling point.

If he was waiting for someone I bet his getaway driver was Thai and late, " sorry, sorry, very traffic ".

The story has been twisted every which way in the Thai media, Here is another headline form a Thai paper.

Australia’s “Opal Bandit” Carlo Kohl Escapes "Interpol" Officers at Suvarnabhumi Airport. These civilian security gaurds have gone from security gaurd to Australian Police Officers to Interpol Police Officers. Next they will be CIA Agents.

[MikeOboe57]

This story also states that he applied for a new German Passport but failed to collect it on Monday. That would indicate that one was granted which I find very hard to believe. [...]

He was not granted one. You have to show up in person to apply for a passport and apparently he had realized that he was already making headlines in the media and would not get one, so he didn't show up.

[NongKhaiKid]

Unless this story hasn't been twisted out of all recognition, or even a little, it's hard to imagine someone who has just slipped away from sleeping escorts who could waken at anytime and raise the alarm is wandering calmly around Swampy even getting his feet massaged. I suppose it could be a mistake since all farang look alike and the suggestion he looked as if he was waiting for someone may be a telling point.

If he was waiting for someone I bet his getaway driver was Thai and late, " sorry, sorry, very traffic ".

The story has been twisted every which way in the Thai media, Here is another headline form a Thai paper.

Australia’s “Opal Bandit” Carlo Kohl Escapes "Interpol" Officers at Suvarnabhumi Airport. These civilian security gaurds have gone from security gaurd to Australian Police Officers to Interpol Police Officers. Next they will be CIA Agents.

We both know from past experience and others are catching on that there's a totally false mystique about Interpol, courtesy of TV and films, that just does not exist.

[Tomtomtom69]

Payboy, on 29 May 2013 - 07:59, said:

NeverSure, on 29 May 2013 - 07:17, said:

Sometimes these stories confuse me. He had no access to cash. He just disappears. No info yet from cabbies. He applied for a new passport. He's sending emails.

Is someone helping him?

Not so sure about no access to cash. According to the other paper, he even had a foot massage before escaping.

bigbamboo, on 29 May 2013 - 07:51, said:

chooka, on 29 May 2013 - 07:26, said:

He did not escape from Australian Police and he is not a fugitive. The Nation needs to get thier facts correct. They were Australian "Civilian Security Gaurds" who were escorting him and "NOT POLICE" He had served his time in jail and was released and as Australia has said, he can't be charged with escaping from lawful custody because he was not technically in custody. His offence by leaving the airport would be entering without a valid visa but Australia has no jurisdiction there.

Lucky he isn't a fugitive. The Thai police don't have much of a success rate with fugitives.

And according to Met 107 news, he IS a fugitive because he was supposed to be transferred to Germany where he would undergo a trial for various offenses he committed (could be these robbery related ones from Australia or other ones, I don't know as I have no further knowledge of this case) so while his prison term in Australia may be over (and he is thus not a fugitive from Australia's perspective, but he IS a fugitive from justice from Germany's perspective). Not sure where you guys are getting your news from but these are the facts.

[chooka]

This story also states that he applied for a new German Passport but failed to collect it on Monday. That would indicate that one was granted which I find very hard to believe. [...]

He was not granted one. You have to show up in person to apply for a passport and apparently he had realized that he was already making headlines in the media and would not get one, so he didn't show up.

exactly and that is why I said, I find this very hard to believe. I don't know where the Nation would have got this idea from.

[IrishIvan]

IN Channel has a slightly different take saying he is ex-German Military and an engineering " expert ". They also said AOT / Immigration officials are worried about security as staff discipline is lax and they tend to open electric doors etc and wedge them open for their convenience.

Most interesting is the claim the fugitive calmly wandered around the airport for a time even having a foot massage and an unnamed witness said he " appeared to be waiting for someone ". 

" Curiouser and Curiouser said Alice ".

He is sounding more and more like Jason Bourne.

[Songhua]

I remember reading in my local paper here (I live in the area he was active in Australia) about the middle of last year that his crimes included house-breaking, drug running and theft of passports and number plates.

I'm sure if he wants a passport he's adept enough to 'find' one.

(don't have a link, sorry)

[creekside]

Police have also discovered that he e-mailed his relatives in Germany and they are trying to trace the location from where he sent the e-mails.

It's a good thing Thailand monitors internet traffic with their registered user database program. It should be simple to glean his particulars from whatever internet cafe he used to send them.

Without a passport, I wonder which personal ID he used to sign in with at the cafe.

[chooka]

@TOMTOM

He may have been wanted in German but this was not an extradition for him to face charges in Germany, this was a deportation. If it was an extradition then he would have been escorted by German Authorities who would sign for the body or at the very least Australian Federal Police Officers and not a couple of civilians. Yes he may be a fugitive from German Justice but that is Germany's problem to make arrangements for him and not Australias. If they wanted him that bad then they would have made a formal extradtion application.

There hasn't been a single murmer from the German authorities on this incident. They haven't come out and said that he was being brought to them to face justice. If he was then I would think they would have something to say on the issue. "Why did these numbskull aussie civilians lose our prisoner?"

Edited May 29, 2013 by chooka

[A Member]

This story also states that he applied for a new German Passport but failed to collect it on Monday. That would indicate that one was granted which I find very hard to believe. [...]

He was not granted one. You have to show up in person to apply for a passport and apparently he had realized that he was already making headlines in the media and would not get one, so he didn't show up.

exactly and that is why I said, I find this very hard to believe. I don't know where the Nation would have got this idea from.

Passport applications vary from country to country. I did not apply in person to get my new British passport a few months ago but was inconvenienced by having to send the application to Hong Kong.

[creekside]

BANGKOK (UPI) -- A man being returned to Germany to face charges after finishing a jail term in Australia escaped at a Thai airport as his escort slept, Thai authorities said.

"What we know now is that Kohl has left the airport," said Suvitchpol Imjairat, chief of Thailand's Immigration Bureau at the airport. Suvitchpol said Kohl had completed a prison term in Australia and, under Australian law, was being accompanied by Australian authorities back to his country to face outstanding charges there. Kohl is accused of being a leader of a gang of thieves in Germany.

Read more:

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2013/05/28/Ex-prisoner-escapes-while-being-escorted-to-Germany-as-escorts-slept/UPI-29801369746373/#ixzz2Ue3xH5ZO

[MikeOboe57]

This story also states that he applied for a new German Passport but failed to collect it on Monday. That would indicate that one was granted which I find very hard to believe. [...]

He was not granted one. You have to show up in person to apply for a passport and apparently he had realized that he was already making headlines in the media and would not get one, so he didn't show up.

exactly and that is why I said, I find this very hard to believe. I don't know where the Nation would have got this idea from.

Passport applications vary from country to country. I did not apply in person to get my new British passport a few months ago but was inconvenienced by having to send the application to Hong Kong.

The German passport contains biometric data (a finger print), so it cannot be done on a phone call and picked up later.

[chooka]

BANGKOK (UPI) -- A man being returned to Germany to face charges after finishing a jail term in Australia escaped at a Thai airport as his escort slept, Thai authorities said.

"What we know now is that Kohl has left the airport," said Suvitchpol Imjairat, chief of Thailand's Immigration Bureau at the airport. Suvitchpol said Kohl had completed a prison term in Australia and, under Australian law, was being accompanied by Australian authorities back to his country to face outstanding charges there. Kohl is accused of being a leader of a gang of thieves in Germany.

Read more:

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2013/05/28/Ex-prisoner-escapes-while-being-escorted-to-Germany-as-escorts-slept/UPI-29801369746373/#ixzz2Ue3xH5ZO

That report gives an entirely different version to what Australian authorities say. He was not being accompanied by authorities he was being escorted by civilian securty gaurds. He was not being extradited he was being deported. Some reporters in Thailand have no idea about the difference between a security gaurd and a law enforcement officer in Australia. There is a huge difference an enormous difference.

Security gaurds in Australia don't even get issued with a whistle when they graduate unlike in Thailand.

[Payboy]

This story also states that he applied for a new German Passport but failed to collect it on Monday. That would indicate that one was granted which I find very hard to believe. [...]

He was not granted one. You have to show up in person to apply for a passport and apparently he had realized that he was already making headlines in the media and would not get one, so he didn't show up.

exactly and that is why I said, I find this very hard to believe. I don't know where the Nation would have got this idea from.

I suppose he can get a new one easily at the German consulate in Khao San Road.

[webfact]

Police continue hunt for German fugitive in Thailand
By Digital Media

BANGKOK, May 29 – Thai police are conducting a manhunt for the German fugitive in Australian robbery cases who fled Suvarnabhumi airport during a transit stop on May 16, according to the immigration police commander.

Pol Lt Gen Panu Kerdlarppol said the Immigration Department has alerted police nationwide, especially in the resort towns of Pattaya and Phuket to look for Carlo Konstantin Kohl, 25, a German convicted in several robbery cases in Australia who was on transit with his Australian guard en route to Frankfurt.

He said that Mr Kohl, who has never been to Thailand, should not have fled too far from the airport.

Another immigration police officer said a closed-circuit camera showed Kohl fleeing a day room at Suvarnabhumi and that the escapee left the airport premises at 03.52 am on May 17.

The German embassy in Bangkok said Mr Kohl had contacted the embassy to apply for a new passport but failed to show up. He also sent email to relatives in Germany.

Mr Kohl and his Australian guard arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport from Melbourne on May 15 to connect with a flight to Frankfurt at midnight. The flight was delayed to 6 am on May 16, reportedly related to bad weather. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2013-05-29

[Cats4ever]

BANGKOK (UPI) -- A man being returned to Germany to face charges after finishing a jail term in Australia escaped at a Thai airport as his escort slept, Thai authorities said.

"What we know now is that Kohl has left the airport," said Suvitchpol Imjairat, chief of Thailand's Immigration Bureau at the airport. Suvitchpol said Kohl had completed a prison term in Australia and, under Australian law, was being accompanied by Australian authorities back to his country to face outstanding charges there. Kohl is accused of being a leader of a gang of thieves in Germany.

Read more:

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2013/05/28/Ex-prisoner-escapes-while-being-escorted-to-Germany-as-escorts-slept/UPI-29801369746373/#ixzz2Ue3xH5ZO

That report gives an entirely different version to what Australian authorities say. He was not being accompanied by authorities he was being escorted by civilian securty gaurds. He was not being extradited he was being deported. Some reporters in Thailand have no idea about the difference between a security gaurd and a law enforcement officer in Australia. There is a huge difference an enormous difference.

Security gaurds in Australia don't even get issued with a whistle when they graduate unlike in Thailand.

The escorts were working for SERCO who are contracted by Immigration in Oz. SERCO have a lot of form around the globe where they operate. Privatisation is not bad; it just needs to be competative. Lowest price is not always the cheapest.

[NongKhaiKid]

He did not escape from Australian Police and he is not a fugitive. The Nation needs to get thier facts correct. They were Australian "Civilian Security Gaurds" who were escorting him and "NOT POLICE" He had served his time in jail and was released and as Australia has said, he can't be charged with escaping from lawful custody because he was not technically in custody. His offence by leaving the airport would be entering without a valid visa but Australia has no jurisdiction there.

Lucky he isn't a fugitive. The Thai police don't have much of a success rate with fugitives.

He is a major fugitive now as he has entered Thailand illegally, doesn't have a valid passport, that anyone knows of, and illegally opened a fire door. This is why there's the princely sum of B10,000 on offer for information leading to his arrest.

If he's caught what will the Thais do, give him to Germany, Australia or let him escape again ?

[MikeOboe57]

He did not escape from Australian Police and he is not a fugitive. The Nation needs to get thier facts correct. They were Australian "Civilian Security Gaurds" who were escorting him and "NOT POLICE" He had served his time in jail and was released and as Australia has said, he can't be charged with escaping from lawful custody because he was not technically in custody. His offence by leaving the airport would be entering without a valid visa but Australia has no jurisdiction there.

Lucky he isn't a fugitive. The Thai police don't have much of a success rate with fugitives.

He is a major fugitive now as he has entered Thailand illegally, doesn't have a valid passport, that anyone knows of, and illegally opened a fire door. This is why there's the princely sum of B10,000 on offer for information leading to his arrest.

If he's caught what will the Thais do, give him to Germany, Australia or let him escape again ?

He will be released on bail.

[chooka]

He did not escape from Australian Police and he is not a fugitive. The Nation needs to get thier facts correct. They were Australian "Civilian Security Gaurds" who were escorting him and "NOT POLICE" He had served his time in jail and was released and as Australia has said, he can't be charged with escaping from lawful custody because he was not technically in custody. His offence by leaving the airport would be entering without a valid visa but Australia has no jurisdiction there.

Lucky he isn't a fugitive. The Thai police don't have much of a success rate with fugitives.

He is a major fugitive now as he has entered Thailand illegally, doesn't have a valid passport, that anyone knows of, and illegally opened a fire door. This is why there's the princely sum of B10,000 on offer for information leading to his arrest.

If he's caught what will the Thais do, give him to Germany, Australia or let him escape again ?

He will be released on bail.

I shouldn't laugh but you maybe right. As for NongKhaiKid's comment Thailand can do as they wish to him. He has been deported from Australia, maybe lost in transit but none the less deported so Australia won't want him back. Lock him up in a thai prison for awhile and then deport him to Germany but don't use an aussie courier service, maybe get the Germans to come over and collect him..

[kartman]

There is a Thai bounty on his head i'm going to jump in my vehicle and burn some fossil fuel looking for him........oh it's 10,000 baht better be the bike then.