A former Swiss driving instructor wanted for extradition on charges of defrauding car-insurance companies of the equivalent of 20 million baht has been caught in Chon Buri.
Crime suppression police arrested Christoph Zumbach, 68, at an apartment in AD Bang Saray Lake and Resort in Sattahip late Friday.
Earlier, the Swiss Embassy in Bangkok had asked the Foreign Ministry to extradite Mr Zumbach based on an arrest warrant issued by the Swiss canton of Zug on June 14 last year.
While Thailand and Switzerland do not have an extradition treaty, the 2008 Extradition Act allows extradition of suspects whose alleged offences are punishable by Thai law with more than one year in prison, police said.
Police tracked the suspect down to the apartment he had used as his address on his immigration form. He had been staying there since April 15.
Mr Zumbach denied the charge and claimed not to know he was wanted in his home country.
According to the Swiss information, Mr Zumbach, a former driving instructor, gave false information to a number of insurance companies over a period of 10 years. He reportedly filed claims saying his students had had car accidents. The damage totalled 600,000 Swiss francs (20 million baht).
Police will contact the Attorney-General’s Office to proceed with his extradition.
