Thai authorities have arrested a thirty-year-old Ukrainian national at Koh Samui airport, suspected of involvement in an illegal nominee operation to acquire land on Koh Phangan.
Immigration services in Surat Thani province, in coordination with Koh Phangan police, arrested Anatoly Pluchev, aged 30, as he attempted to discreetly re-enter Thai territory.
The suspect, a shareholder in the company « Rupicon Co., Ltd. », is the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the Koh Samui court for participating in the drafting of falsified documents with the Koh Phangan land registry services.
This manoeuvre aimed to circumvent Thai legislation prohibiting foreigners from directly owning land by using a front Thai company.
After fleeing the country as soon as the investigation opened, Anatoly Pluchev had attempted to return once the matter had calmed down, but border control services identified him upon his arrival at Koh Samui airport.
source: local journalist