A Filipino who was a key leader of a notorious kidnapping gang in the Philippines has been arrested in Bangkok after lying low in Thailand for over a decade.
Patrick Philip Gutierez Alemania, 41, was taken to a press briefing at the Royal Thai Police headquarters yesterday.
He was recently apprehended in the Rom Klao area in Bangkok after fleeing arrest for more than 12 years.
The arrest was conducted after Interpol in Thailand received a tip-off from Filipinos who live in the country on Mr Alemania's hideout.
Mr Alemania was later nabbed after a joint force consisting of Interpol, Rom Klao, immigration and tourist police found him at his home.
Deputy national police chief Wuthi Liptapallop said yesterday Mr Alemania fled from his country on Feb 10, 2004, after he and five of his gang members failed to extort over 100 million baht from a family of a Chinese-Filipino businessman, who was an owner of the largest animal feed company in the Philippines.
The businessman was kidnapped by the gang but later managed to escape.
The five were later detained by Philippine authorities and sentenced to life imprisonment while Mr Alemania managed to flee the country and later entered Thailand.
He worked as a singer at a nightclub and subsequently enrolled in a Thai language course to obtain a student visa. After gaining some Thai language skills, he worked as an English teacher in a language institute.
Pol Gen Wuthi said Mr Alemania's visa was revoked by the Immigration Bureau while his passport was also revoked by the Philippine embassy. He will be extradited to face prosecution as quickly as possible.
Under questioning, Mr Alemania admitted he chose Thailand as his hideout as Thais and Filipinos look alike so it would be easier for him to conceal his identity and evade capture.
According to Philippine authorities, Mr Alemania was among the most-wanted transnational criminals in the Philippines as he was also involved with several kidnapping rings.
The Philippine national police chief expressed his thanks to Thai police for helping track down Mr Alemania.