Russian drug smuggler wanted by Interpol arrested in Phuket

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Russian drug smuggler wanted by Interpol arrested in Phuket
Phuket Gazette


Anatoliy Gural (2nd from right) poses with Phuket Immigration officers, led by Capt Angkarn Yasanop (right). Photo: Phuket Immigration

PHUKET: -- Responding to a written request from the Russian embassy in Bangkok, Phuket Immigration last night arrested a Russian national wanted in his home country for “illegal transportation of drugs, committed on a large scale”.

The request stated that Anatoliy Gural had been wanted by Interpol since November 2011, and provided details of a false passport he was using to travel.

“Mr Gural entered Thailand under the name Danil Safronov,” said Capt Angkarn Yasanop of Phuket Immigration.

“Our informants found out that he was living in a rental house in Soi Kokyang in Rawai, so we went to his house and asked to see his passport. He claimed he had sent it to another country to get a visa stamp.

“We took him to the Phuket Immigration Office for further questioning and found out that he used a fake passport with his own photo to enter Thailand on April 1,” said Capt Angkarn.

“We charged him with producing a fake passport and using it,” he said.

Mr Gural, who hails from Artem in the Russian Far East territories near Vladivostok, was taken to Chalong Police Station to have the charges against him processed.

Phuket Immigration notified the Russian Embassy in Bangkok, which has expressed its clear intent to have Mr Gural escorted back to Russia under guard of Russian Police officers.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2013/Russian-drug-smuggler-wanted-by-Interpol-arrested-in-Phuket-21436.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2013-06-25

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Russian dealer with fake passport arrested in Phuket
Naraporn Tuarob


Anatoliy Gural, second from right.

PHUKET: -- A Russian, alleged to be a major drug dealer wanted by Interpol, was arrested in Phuket last night (June 24) after being found using a fake passport.

Immigration police led by Pol Lt Chidchanok Sakornyen and Pol Capt Angkarn Yasanop arrested the Russian, Anatoliy Gural, 30, in Soi Koke Yang, Rawai.

He was charged with entering Thailand using a fake passport in the name of Danil Safronov. When the police checked on the Immigration database, it appeared that Gural came to Thailand at the beginning of April this year, using a non-immigrant O visa, and received a permit to stay until June 29.

The Russian Embassy briefed the Phuket Immigration Police, informing officers that Gural is a criminal wanted for the illegal transportation of large amounts of narcotics, and has been on the Interpol wanted list since November 16 last year.

Danil Safronov, the owner of the passport Gural was carrying, was confirmed to be in Russia.

Capt Angkarn told The Phuket News, “After receiving information from the Embassy, we tracked this guy down to Soi Koke Yang in Rawai, where he was staying.

“Officers asked him for his passport but he said that he had sent it off to another country for renewal of the visa. However, police already had records of him travelling as Safronov, using Safranov’s passport but with his own photo laminated over the top of Safronov’s,” Capt Angkarn explained.

The immigration police also showed him the copy of warrant of arrest from Russia and Gural admitted that the person in the warrant was him and also admitted that the Safranov passport was not his.

He is currently in Chalong Police Station being charged. He is expected to be extradited to Russia soon.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/russian-dealer-with-fake-passport-arrested-in-phuket-40408.php


-- Phuket News 2013-06-25

[tonneke breda]

“We took him to the Phuket Immigration Office for further questioning and found out that he used a fake passport with his own photo to enter Thailand on April 1,” said Capt Angkarn.

Would not be clever to use a fake passport with a photo who isn't yours!! how clever are these cops??

#tonneke breda

[Dararasmi]

[FiestyFarang]

“We took him to the Phuket Immigration Office for further questioning and found out that he used a fake passport with his own photo to enter Thailand on April 1,” said Capt Angkarn.

Would not be clever to use a fake passport with a photo who isn't yours!! how clever are these cops??

#tonneke breda

Very funny good sense of humour, one might get caught if you used the real owner of the Passport's picture.

[Guest]

“We took him to the Phuket Immigration Office for further questioning and found out that he used a fake passport with his own photo to enter Thailand on April 1,” said Capt Angkarn.

Would not be clever to use a fake passport with a photo who isn't yours!! how clever are these cops??

#tonneke breda

Obviously more clever than the drug dealer.

[pacovl46]

"Phuket Immigration notified the Russian Embassy in Bangkok, which has expressed its clear intent to have Mr Gural escorted back to Russia under guard of Russian Police officers", never to be seen again! ;-)

[pacovl46]

“We took him to the Phuket Immigration Office for further questioning and found out that he used a fake passport with his own photo to enter Thailand on April 1,” said Capt Angkarn.

Would not be clever to use a fake passport with a photo who isn't yours!! how clever are these cops??

#tonneke breda

Obviously more clever than the drug dealer.

"cleverer" ;-)

[jpduggan]

“We took him to the Phuket Immigration Office for further questioning and found out that he used a fake passport with his own photo to enter Thailand on April 1,” said Capt Angkarn.

Would not be clever to use a fake passport with a photo who isn't yours!! how clever are these cops??

#tonneke breda

They must be clever enough as they did catch him?

[fredKroket]

“We took him to the Phuket Immigration Office for further questioning and found out that he used a fake passport with his own photo to enter Thailand on April 1,” said Capt Angkarn.

Would not be clever to use a fake passport with a photo who isn't yours!! how clever are these cops??

#tonneke breda

Must be an April fool...

[Emdog]

May I suggest not using Australian security firm to watch him?

[lowushatin]

sounds and looks like an Azeri to me.

[shaurene]

“We took him to the Phuket Immigration Office for further questioning and found out that he used a fake passport with his own photo to enter Thailand on April 1,” said Capt Angkarn.

Would not be clever to use a fake passport with a photo who isn't yours!! how clever are these cops??

#tonneke breda

Obviously more clever than the drug dealer.

"cleverer" ;-)

Well done immigration and you did not turn a blind eye to the money he would have offered.

[Mudcrab]

sounds and looks like an Azeri to me.

whats an Azeri? and how did you hear this?

[Potosi]

“We took him to the Phuket Immigration Office for further questioning and found out that he used a fake passport with his own photo to enter Thailand on April 1,” said Capt Angkarn.

Would not be clever to use a fake passport with a photo who isn't yours!! how clever are these cops??

#tonneke breda

They must be clever enough as they did catch him?

Very, very clever. Police had no information but "The request (by the Russians) stated that Anatoliy Gural had been wanted by Interpol since November 2011, and provided details of a false passport he was using to travel" after all.

Anyway, face looks familiar. A twin of a German murderer in Pattaya in the year 2009, Timo Bloch?

[marell]

“We took him to the Phuket Immigration Office for further questioning and found out that he used a fake passport with his own photo to enter Thailand on April 1,” said Capt Angkarn.

Would not be clever to use a fake passport with a photo who isn't yours!! how clever are these cops??

#tonneke breda

They must be clever enough as they did catch him?

Even though the photo IDs they're wearing around their necks would have tipped off a more alert criminal.

[fasteddie]

Jeez, are there any honest Russians in Thailand?

[Cityman]

Jeez, are there any honest Russians in Thailand?

Me and my wife for example.

About the Azers (people. who come from Azerbaijan rep. originally) - I don't think so.

For me he looks like a guy from Chechnia or Dagestan (The worst south regions on Russia with 95% Muslims from the whole populations )

Cheers from HuaHin.

[Bagwan]

I'm reading this as he could have lived here indefinitely but for the Russkies supplying the info so that a quick check on Immigration records, the 90 day reporting card in particular could be made, and then it was an easy pick up. When his true identity was known did the BIB think of looking at the Interpol wanted list or was that info also fed to them by the Russians?

On that interpretation of the OP even the Keystone cops could have felt his collar. With the Russian Government involved I don't think any amount of money could have saved his skin. The law enforcement authorities in Phuket (such as they are) have enough problems and complaints to deal with already.

[oldsailor35]

May I suggest not using Australian security firm to watch him?

Too bloody right! contract the escort out if they have to, but for christ's sake do not let any Aussies do it !

[ableguy]

"Phuket Immigration notified the Russian Embassy in Bangkok, which has expressed its clear intent to have Mr Gural escorted back to Russia under guard of Russian Police officers", never to be seen again! ;-)

Peeling rotten spuds in the gulag shortens ones life span.

[ableguy]

I'm reading this as he could have lived here indefinitely but for the Russkies supplying the info so that a quick check on Immigration records, the 90 day reporting card in particular could be made, and then it was an easy pick up. When his true identity was known did the BIB think of looking at the Interpol wanted list or was that info also fed to them by the Russians?

On that interpretation of the OP even the Keystone cops could have felt his collar. With the Russian Government involved I don't think any amount of money could have saved his skin. The law enforcement authorities in Phuket (such as they are) have enough problems and complaints to deal with already.

money is God and far more important than dealing with a complaint from some annoying foreign diplomat, hence the people who cause the most problems carry on tuk tuk, jey ski, russian hookers in Pattaya . African hookers and dealers working aroun Nana

[DGIE]

Russian again?! Just a while ago, russian are hired to kill sombody. They are gaining popularity in Phuket and Pattaya.

[bangarang]

Good job BiB.

[smotherb]

Jeez, are there any honest Russians in Thailand?

yes, he lives right next to the Brit who is not a pedophile

[Loptr]

Is it just me or does there seem to be more of these arrests taking place of late in Thailand? Foreign criminals who used to be able to hide away in Thailand are now facing the tightening of security around the world. Good thing if you ask me.

[fasteddie]

Jeez, are there any honest Russians in Thailand?

yes, he lives right next to the Brit who is not a pedophile

Touche! LOL.

[Andre0720]

Jeez, are there any honest Russians in Thailand?

Hey,

Any honest "Russian men" in Thailand, to be more precise.

The molecules of Russian ladies seem to be nicely assembled...and innocuous. Just an observation...

Edited June 25, 2013 by Andre0720

[Nowhereman60]

The photo makes me laugh, it's almost look like a family picture. I guess the police use the picture as evidence that they made an arrest.

[dotpoom]

“We took him to the Phuket Immigration Office for further questioning and found out that he used a fake passport with his own photo to enter Thailand on April 1,” said Capt Angkarn.

Would not be clever to use a fake passport with a photo who isn't yours!! how clever are these cops??

#tonneke breda

Obviously more clever than the drug dealer.

"cleverer" ;-)

Well done immigration and you did not turn a blind eye to the money he would have offered.

They did turn a blind I to any money ...if they did not....he wouldn't have been arrested.