In a popular Thai resort there was a high-profile incident involving foreigners who put up armed resistance to law enforcement authorities. Special forces had to intervene to apprehend the lawbreakers.
How it all began: an attempt to detain one of the residents of a luxury villa
On October 26, two local immigration officers arrived on Phuket Island. Their goal was to arrest an Indian citizen who was illegally in the kingdom. The police had a warrant for this purpose.
However, getting to the offender was not so easy. The Indian was hiding in a luxurious private villa located on a hill near Laem Singh Beach on Phuket Island. To apprehend the suspect, immigration officers had to enter the secured area of the luxury dwelling.
At 11:15 a.m., police officers arrived at the villa to perform their duty. However, they were met at the gate by a group of armed guards who blocked the entrance and refused to let the uninvited guests through. Moreover, the private bodyguards took active measures to drive the policemen out of the territory of the residential complex.
A brutal attack by villa guards on police officers
The situation quickly escalated into an open conflict. Armed with baseball bats, the private security guards attacked the authorities and severely beat both police officers. The immigration officers were seriously injured by the aggressive bodyguards.
After the attack, the police officers had to retreat under the onslaught of fierce resistance. Meanwhile, villa guards set up a two-car roadblock to prevent police from storming the apartment complex again.
SWAT team deployed to storm Phuket villa
Phuket Island immigration authorities immediately raised the alarm and requested reinforcements from the provincial police. A SWAT unit was deployed to the scene to deal with the critical situation. The SWAT team cordoned off the area around the luxury villa and prepared for an assault.
They began an hours-long siege of the residential complex in order to detain the barricaded foreigners. For more than four hours, the special forces kept surveillance and prepared the operation to take the villa by storm.
In the end, the special forces managed to overcome the resistance of the guards and penetrate the territory of the residence. The police established full control over the villa and proceeded to detain the lawbreakers.
What was found inside the luxury villa in Phuket
As it turned out, the luxury villa was a whole gated complex of 1.6 hectares, estimated at half a billion baht. On the protected area there were about 20 luxury cars, a helicopter pad, as well as a zoo with wild animals.
Inside there were tigers and lions, large pythons, poisonous spiders, and exotic parrots. It is forbidden to keep such animals in captivity on private property, so the reserve staff will have to remove the dangerous predators and reptiles.
Another find was a collection of more than 30 premium drones. Police are yet to find out what purpose the impressive squadron of drones was used for. It is possible that this fleet of multi-rotor aircraft was used to illegally videotape the resort and deliver illicit goods.
Results of the special operation
As a result of the successful storming of the villa by special forces, three foreigners suspected of violating Thai migration laws were detained.
Among them was 33-year-old Russian citizen Georgy Shkodo, whose legal stay in the kingdom expired 60 days ago. Two more detainees are natives of India, who also overstayed their legal term.
All three visa violators were taken to the police station for further investigation. They face expulsion from the territory of Thailand and a ban on re-entry into the country.
In addition, the villa guards may be charged with assaulting the authorities and obstructing their lawful activities. However, so far the police have not officially confirmed the fact of criminal prosecution of private bodyguards.
Thus, thanks to the decisive actions of the special forces, it was possible to stop the gross violation of migration rules in Thailand by foreign citizens and to restore order in a luxury residential complex on Phuket Island. This once again proves that the law is the same for everyone in the kingdom.
Author of the article: Ekaterina Antonova
