Police arrested a Chinese national, an alleged leader of a human trafficking syndicate, at a hotel in Bangkok’s Din Daeng district on Tuesday.
Officers from the Crime Suppression Division and the Immigration Bureau detained the 40-year-old Chinese man, identified only as Gao, outside his hotel room on soi Pracharat Bamphen 1 in Din Daeng district.
Authorities said the suspect was considered a high-priority target by Chinese law enforcement. In China, he faces charges related to international human trafficking.
His visa was revoked and he will be extradited to China..
The arrest followed an investigation by Chinese police into an organised crime network smuggling people across borders. Since 2024, the syndicate allegedly smuggled at least 20 Myanmar women into China, while facilitating the travel of at least 20 Chinese men to Yangon, Myanmar, to participate in unlawful matchmaking activities.
According to investigators, the group used forged documents and false claims to obtain business visas, enabling the illegal movement of people across borders.
Chinese authorities arrested several suspects. However, Gao, described as a key figure in the organisation, fled China and took refuge in Thailand.
Beijing formally requested assistance from Thai authorities to locate and repatriate the suspect through the Mekong-Lancang Cooperation framework, coordinated via the Anti-Cyber Scam Centre.
Thai police traced Mr Gao to the hotel where he was arrested. Records showed he had entered and exited Thailand at least 21 times, most recently arriving on a tourist visa while evading prosecution in China.
