Israeli fugitive arrested on Koh Samui after drug seizure at condominium

Thai immigration police in Surat Thani have arrested a 36-year-old Israeli man wanted in Israel for drug trafficking and transnational crime after locating him at a luxury condominium in Koh Samui.

Authorities identified the suspect only as Mr. Tal, 36. Police said he was the subject of an arrest warrant issued in Israel. The arrest followed intelligence from the Israeli Embassy’s police and security liaison office in Bangkok, which led Thai immigration officers to coordinate a joint operation in the Chaweng area.

Investigators tracked Tal’s movements on Koh Samui and revoked his permit to remain in Thailand before moving in to detain him, according to the report. A subsequent search of his condominium found what police described as a significant quantity of narcotics, including cocaine, ecstasy, powdered drugs and weighing equipment concealed inside the residence.

During questioning, Tal admitted being part of a drug trafficking network in Israel, police said. He told investigators the drugs found in his possession had been bought at a party on nearby Koh Phangan for personal use.

Police said they were not convinced by that explanation and are expanding the investigation to determine whether he had connections to local drug networks in Thailand.

Tal was charged under Thai law with illegal possession of Category 1 and Category 2 narcotics. He was transferred to Bo Phut Police Station for legal proceedings. Authorities said that after the case concludes, he will be deported to Israel and placed on Thailand’s blacklist, permanently barring his re-entry.