Internet drug king said to be worth B10bn
Police hot on Canadian’s asset trail
Police believe a Canadian who ran a website to allegedly trade various illicit items, including drugs and firearms, possessed at least 10 billion baht worth of assets under his worldwide network.
Alexandre Cazes, the alleged mastermind behind the website known as “AlphaBay”, was found hanged inside a cell at the Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB) on July 12, seven days after he and his Thai wife, Sunisa Thepsuwan, were arrested at their house in Bangkok’s Thawi Watthana district.
Deputy police chief Chalermkiat Sriworakhan told a news briefing at the NSB yesterday that the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had sought cooperation from several Thai agencies, including the NSB and the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB), in their efforts to apprehend Cazes, 26.
The local investigation formed a part of what was called “Operation Bayonet”, jointly carried out by authorities from the United States, Canada, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Cyprus, Lithuania and Thailand.
Cazes was believed to have run the website to trade and distribute illegal items worldwide and use Thailand as the centre for his online operation, Pol Gen Chalermkiat said. Cazes was wanted on 16 charges by the US, including the sale of controlled substances.
The US warrants were sent to Thailand to seek his arrest and extradition, he said.
Thai police investigators found out that Cazes had married Ms Sunisa and stayed in a housing estate on Phutthamonthon Sai 3 Road in tambon Sala Thammasop, he said.
Police found several luxury cars at the house, where the couple enjoyed a luxurious lifestyle but did not appear to have any permanent jobs, Pol Gen Chalermkiat said.
Cazes was allegedly involved in numerous package deliveries and money transactions, paying tens of millions of baht each time online, the officer said, adding the Canadian also gave huge amounts of money to his wife for spending.
Police later sought the Criminal Court’s approval for warrants for the arrest of the couple with Cazes wanted for extradition and his wife for conspiracy in money laundering.
A group of US officials then travelled to Thailand to work with local officials and hatch a plan to apprehend the couple.
The couple were subsequently arrested at their house on July 5, where several computers were seized.
Officials later widened the probe and seized more than 10 assets, including four houses, three luxury cars, a motorcycle and money in digital currency, worth 255 million baht, as well as Lithuanian currency worth 54.6 million baht.
Moreover, around 46 million baht were seized from Cazes’ Thai bank accounts, bringing the total worth of his seized assets to 726.3 million baht.
With the efforts to extradite Cazes under way, the suspect allegedly hanged himself with a towel in his NSB cell on July 12.
Pol Lt Gen Sommai Kongwisaisuk, chief of the NSB, said Police General Hospital’s Institute of Forensic Medicine had confirmed Cazes hanged himself as there was no trace of physical injury on his body.
He affirmed the probe into the case would not be deterred by the death of the suspect.
Authorities now expect the total worth of his assets and property to reach at least 10 billion baht and were looking for more of his wealth.
Pol Lt Gen Sommai said the suspect, who had an IQ of 140, was computer savvy, and started hacking websites when he was only 14.
Ms Sunisa is so far the only Thai person linked to the illicit network, but the investigation is being widened, he said.