Cops nab French fugitive

SURAT THANI: A French cybercrime gang leader wanted for hacking into customers’ accounts at a bank in England and demanding a ransom was caught in Koh Samui district, early yesterday morning.

Thai police teams, accompanied by French embassy officials and French police officers raided three locations looking for him — one on Koh Samui and two in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Pak Chong district.

A team, led by the Crime Suppression Division’s Pol Col Phumin Poompunmuang, found and detained the wanted crime boss, Jonathan Verron, 25, in a house in Koh Samui’s tambon Mae Nam around 5am yesterday.

The Criminal Court approved a police request for an arrest warrant on Mr Verron for his extradition on Tuesday. He faces cybercrime charges in France.

Police also seized compressed marijuana, computers, mobile phones and bank passbooks.

Mr Verron is wanted for major cybercrimes in France. He allegedly hacked into the financial details of customers at a bank in the United Kingdom and demanded a ransom from the bank in exchange for not disclosing the information.

He is one of three suspects in the case. French police earlier apprehended the other two.

The suspect is also allegedly involved in selling drugs and firearms online.

He had been hiding in Thailand for the last two years, police said.