An Indian man who had been wanted by Thai authorities for five months was arrested at a resort in the Maha Sarakham province in northeast Thailand on Sunday. The arrest was announced by officers from Wapi Pathum Police Station and Maha Sarakham Immigration during a press conference held yesterday. The arrested individual, identified as Ajit Yadav, a 28-year-old Indian national, was apprehended at a resort in Nong Saeng subdistrict based on an arrest warrant issued by the Maha Sarakham Provincial Court on November 30, 2022.
According to the warrant, Ajit was sought under suspicion of various crimes, including theft at night, armed robbery, joint commission of an offense with another person, and the use of force to cause injury without physical or mental harm, as reported by SiamRath.
The police stated that Ajit had evaded arrest by hiding in Bangkok for over five months. However, on Sunday at 9 am, a tip-off led Maha Sarakham Immigration authorities to his presence in the Wapi Pathum district. The police located him at a resort where he admitted to being the fugitive described in the arrest warrant. Ajit was subsequently detained and taken to Wapi Pathum Police Station for further questioning.
During the investigation into Ajit’s background, it was discovered that he entered Thailand as a tourist on September 26, 2019, with permission to stay until November 24, 2019. However, he overstayed his visa by three and a half years. As a result, the police filed an additional charge against Ajit for being an alien residing in the country beyond the permitted duration by 1,273 days.
Pol. Lt. Col. Suphon Sriphak, the Immigration Supervisor of Maha Sarakham province, urged the public to assist immigration officers by reporting any suspicious behavior or potential threats to society displayed by foreigners in Thailand. Such information should be reported to any immigration office in the country, according to Pol. Lt. Col. Suphon.
The recent crackdown by Thailand’s Immigration Bureau (IB) on overstayers from May 4 to 13 revealed a significant number of 1,272 individuals in violation of their visa terms. In comparison, the IB discovered 785 overstayers during their previous crackdown spanning October and November 2022. The IB attributed this substantial increase in the number of foreign overstayers to their improved strategies and efforts to apprehend them, reflecting their success in addressing the persistent issue of foreigners residing illegally in Thailand.
