Malaysian drug lord to be prosecuted in Thailand - Ayob Khan

KUALA LUMPUR - The Malaysian drug lord who was detained in Laos recently will be prosecuted in Thailand.

Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said there is no plan to extradite the 41-year-old suspect, who is from Perak and married to a Thai woman, to Malaysia.

"He has been handed over to the Thai authorities for investigation. Likewise, any Malaysian who is abroad and violates the laws of the country involved, we leave it to the country concerned to take action," he told a press conference after a meeting of the Steering Committee for the Implementation of Joint Venture between the Royal Malaysia Police and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia at Bukit Aman here today.

According to Thai police, the 39-year-old Malaysian, an alleged drug dealer and a key member of a drug syndicate, had been in hiding in Laos.

Assistant National Police Chief Pol Lt Gen Panurat Lakboon said the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) had been investigating the Malaysian man, a suspected drug trafficker who played a key role as procurer and coordinator in the drug trade in the Golden Triangle area since 2006.

He said the man was arrested in Laos on Dec 29.

"The suspect has been working with drug networks across Thailand, Malaysia, China, Singapore, and Laos. He also used Thailand for both money laundering and as a transit point for smuggling drugs, including to countries like Malaysia, Taiwan, and Australia.

"The arrest is a result of the continuous investigation and close coordination between the Thai, Malaysian, and Laotian enforcement agencies,” he said in a statement as reported by the media. - BERNAMA