Police Help Thai Police Arrest Drug Dealer Chaowalit Thungduang In Bali

Chaowalit Thungduang, the number one drug fugitive from Thailand who was arrested by the Indonesian National Police and the Thai Police in Bali on May 30, 2024. (Doc. Police)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian National Police (Polri) assisted the Thai Police (Royal Thai Police) in arresting the number one fugitive, a drug dealer in the White Elephant country who fled to Indonesia named Chaowalit Thungduang alias Sia Paeng Nanoo alias Sulaiman.

Head of the Criminal and Investigation Agency (Kabareskrim) Komjen Pol. Wahyu Widada at Bareskrim Polri, Jakarta, Sunday, said that the arrest of the dealer after the National Police received a red notice from the Royal Thai Police on February 16, 2024.

"This fugitive is one of the criminals who has been designated the most wanted fugitive in Thailand for committing various crimes before finally fleeing to Indonesia to hide," said Wahyu.

From the results of the investigation, the fugitive Chaowalit entered Indonesia by sea from Thai waters to Aceh waters using a fast boat on December 8, 2023, traveling 17 hours.

Furthermore, the person concerned chose to live in North Sumatra under the pseudonym Sulaiman.

While in Indonesia, Chaowalit used a fake identity, ID card, or family card (KK) and a birth certificate made by an Indonesian citizen in Aceh with the initials FS.

"Arriving in Indonesia, there is an Indonesian citizen with the initials FS who was previously introduced by one of the witnesses in Thailand to help fugitives create fake identities as an Indonesian citizen on behalf of Sulaiman. The false identities are in the form of ID cards, families, and birth certificates as residents of East Aceh," he said.

While in Indonesia, he said, Chaowalit or Sulaiman lived with the supply of money sent from Thailand. While in Indonesia there were Indonesian citizens who helped him send money, take them for a trip, and accompany them while living in Indonesia (a woman).

It was also stated that a total of eight witnesses were linked to the escape of Chaowalit in Indonesia who were being hunted by police investigators for helping fugitives during the escape.

Chaowalit just moved from one apartment to the apartment and from the hotel to the hotel, and several times changed to accompany.

Chaowalit is known how many in Bali since May 20, 2024 for holidays. While communicating using Google Translate because you can't speak English or Indonesian.

"What Thailand explained was that Chaowalit was involved in a drug case in Thailand, one of the country's major drug dealers, then committed murder, including during the birth. Actually, he was arrested and detained, then fled during a dental treatment permit at a hospital in Thailand," said Komjen Pol. Wahyu.

Although while in Indonesia there is no criminal record, Chaowalit is Thailand's most dangerous fugitive for killing a policeman and several people suspected of being witnesses to his case.

Secretary General of the Thailand Narcotics Supervisory Agency, Phanurat Lukboon, appreciated the performance of the National Police in helping his party arrest the number one fugitive in his country. This is because the crime is quite large, namely killing the authorities, which has an impact on the loss of public trust in the authorities there.

"The Thai police stated that the important person suspects were immediately arrested. We know he is in Indonesia, he has lived in Medan for 6 days. This means that the Indonesian Police are very qualified. We all know that drug cases are not only a matter of one country, but must collaborate with other countries," said Phanurat.