SURAT THANI - Three foreigners have been arrested on Koh Phangan for selling and possessing illicit drugs, money laundering and running a business using a Thai national as a nominee.
The arrests stemmed from a follow-up investigation after the arrest on nearby Koh Samui of a British drug suspect on March 1. Peter Hull was subsequently sentenced to five years and 11 months in jail, Pol Lt Gen Panumart Boonyalak, commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, said in a briefing on Thursday.
Police found that Hull had bought drugs from an Italian man, identified as Federico Carlo Eugenio Pistolesi, 36, who was arrested on the tourist island of Koh Phangan in the southern province of Surat Thani.
He faces charges of possessing and selling drugs including ecstasy, cocaine and methamphetamine and money laundering.
Police seized 24 items, including a sedan car, a bank account containing over 6 million baht, and an a two-rai land plot worth 8 million baht, which was registered to a company named Pittaya Land.
As the investigation expanded, police arrested two other foreigners — Frenchman Roman Malik Bertagnol, 37, and Russian national Anton Zaozerov, 39 — who were found to be customers of the Italian suspect.
Mr Pistolesi was found to have received money from other foreigners residing on the two islands, police said.
Pol Col Songprod Sirisukha said Mr Zaozerov and his wife were also found to have been running a cleaning business, which is prohibited for foreigners, by using a Thai woman, identified only as Meena, as a nominee.
The police investigation is continuing.
National police chief Kittharath Punpetch has pushed all divisions to crack down on illegal foreign businesses in Thailand and crimes that affect tourism.