OFFICIALS at the immigration checkpoint in Aranyaprathet border town chased and arrested a young Russian man who ran across a bridge from Cambodia and are checking his background as they fear he might be linked to an international criminal gang, Thai News Agency reported today (Dec. 18).
Immigration officials at this town, which is in eastern Sa Kaeo province, ran after the young foreign man carrying a black backpack after he sprinted across Mitraphab bridge to Thailand from Poipet town just across the border in Cambodia.
A check of his backpack revealed a Russian passport which expired many years ago with the name being Kiril Nethru Soff.
He told investigators that he went to Cambodia for a holiday on December 8 but was caught by a gang of criminals who stole his belongings and passport leaving him with nothing.
He then decided to run across the border to Thailand to go to a friend in Pattaya.
Sa Kaeo police contacted their counterpart in Poipet and found out that the Russian man faces a charge of traveling without a valid passport. He had claimed that he had lost it, and the Cambodian police had contacted the Russian embassy in their country about him.
As Thai police are concerned that the young Russian man might be part of an international criminal gang, they are holding him at Klong Luek police station for legal action and to check his background.
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Top: The young Russian man on a police truck after Thai officials chased and caught him. Photo: Thai News Agency
First in-text: Officials checking the young Russian man’s expired passport. Photo: Thai News Agency
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