2008 NEWS FROM THAILAND

Uzbek man on FBI wanted list arrested & Wanted in US for money laundering, cyber crime

WASSAYOS NGAMKHAM source Bangkok Post 7th May 2008

An Uzbek man wanted by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation for alleged money laundering and child pornography offences in the United States has been arrested in Pattaya. Mikhail Georgevich Komov, 39, was apprehended on Saturday near a condominium in Chon Buri's Bang Lamung district. The FBI requested Thai assistance after learning he had fled to Thailand and was believed to be hiding under the protection of a Russian gang in Pattaya suspected of running a tour company as a front. Central Investigation Bureau deputy commander Pol Maj-Gen Panya Mamen announced the man's arrest at a press conference yesterday attended by representatives of the US embassy. Pol Maj-Gen Panya said the CIB had no evidence the suspect committed any sexual offences in Thailand. Mr Komov told police he had been making trips to Thailand from Uzbekistan for about three years and often stayed in Pattaya. He refused to speak about the charges laid by the FBI. The US embassy said Mr Komov faces charges of cyber crime in addition to money laundering. The FBI, which has been searching for him for three years, alleges Mr Komov posted pornographic photos of children on websites and acted as a broker for their sexual services. CIB criminal records show the suspect was arrested in Thailand last year by tourist police for allegedly using fake credit cards. He was nabbed on Aug 25 as he was withdrawing money from an ATM outside the Siam Commercial Bank in tambon Nong Prue in Bang Lamung district. The police also seized from him 18 credit cards and 16,800 baht cash. However when the case went to state prosecutors, they decided not to indict him, Pol Maj-Gen Panya said. CIB police plan to to hand over Mr Komov to the Office of the Attorney-General for extradition to the US under an agreement on transnational criminals. Police are also keeping a close watch on the Russian gang, which runs a tourist agency bringing Russian tourists to Thailand. However, police suspect the gang of involvement in some shady businesses. 'We'll continue to monitor them to see if they are doing anything illegal,'' Pol Maj-Gen Panya said.

Police arrest fake passport gang members

Police arrested 12 members of a gang producing fake passports in Bang Khor Laem district of Bangkok yesterday. A large number of fake passports of various countries were seized. Some of the passports were being processed when police raided the rented house on Soi Charoenkrung 107. The gang comprised Thais, Burmese, and Indonesians. The gang leader was identified as Somkhuan Muen-in, 38. During the search, police found more than 20,000 fake passports of many countries, including Burma, Brunei, Canada, France, Germany, Malaysia, Russia, Sweden and the United States. Of the fake passports, some 2,000 were ready to be used, said Immigration bureau chief Pol Lt-Gen Chatchawal Suksomjit. Other seized items included illegal visa stamps and other counterfeit travel documents. According to a police investigation, Mr Somkhuan, alias Cham, had produced bogus passports for over 10 years. He had also been involved in trafficking of alien nationals and in drug and weapons smuggling. He is reported to be on the wanted list in several countries. Police records say Mr Somkhuan ran an underground network which supplied arms to the Tamil Tiger rebels in Sri Lanka in 2003. He also allegedly conspired to rob a diamond trader in Thailand. Bangkok Post 9th May 2008

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BANGKOK SAFETY PROBLEMS Beware of pickpockets on overcrowded public transportation and markets etc like Chatuchuk. Avoid going to a strange place with few people and when using ATMs and banks keep an eye around you for who may be watching you. In taxis try to remember the number on the window sill. Carry copies of your passport. Taking taxis are safe but always use the meter and if the driver says its broken down don't believe him. Try to avoid touts and go to the main roads to hail a cab. Try and remember the number of the cab which is noirmally on the doors. Do not look rich with jewelry.

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