Police arrest fugitive Dutchman at Suvarnabhumi after Interpol probe

>> A fugitive Dutchman, who fled to Thailand 10 years ago after allegedly defrauding investors in his home country, was arrested at Suvarnabhumi airport yesterday, police said.

The arrest was conducted by a combined force of the Crime Suppression Division, the Thailand branch of Interpol and Immigration Police Bureau officers.

Johannes Baartmans was nabbed as he was waiting to pick up his friend at the airport before midday yesterday. Mr Baartmans had no passport with him at the time of his arrest, police said.

Thai Interpol chief Apichart Suriboonya received a tip-off from the Interpol branch in the Netherlands about Mr Baartmans two years ago.

Netherlands Interpol said the suspect allegedly headed a transnational criminal syndicate. He was accused of opening a company in his home country which lured people into investing in real estate in Turkey.

People, including those from many European countries, fell for the scam and invested money in the company and were then cheated. The victims wired money to the company after they were promised a handsome return on their investments which they never received.

The suspect allegedly took the investment funds and fled to Thailand in August 2007, police said.

Police in Thailand and the Netherlands have constantly been exchanging information about the suspect, which led to his arrest yesterday.

A police source said that before Mr Baartmans’ arrest Pol Maj Gen Apichart had informed national police chief Chakthip Chaijinda that the suspect had been located. Pol Gen Chakthip then assigned Pol Gen Suchart Theerasawasdi, deputy chief director of the Transnational Crime Suppression Centre in charge of the operation, to arrest the suspect.

Pol Gen Chakthip said the capture of Mr Baartmans has shown police were committed to rooting out transnational crime and to prove Thailand is not a safe haven for foreign criminals.