BANGKOK: A man convicted of serious offences in Australia has mysteriously escaped from two Australian security guards inside the secure international transit area of Bangkok's main airport.
It is believed Immigration authorities throughout Thailand - including on Phuket - will now be looking out for the on-the-run fugitive. It's unusual to have a criminal delivered to Thailand and allowed to escape by law officers from another country.
The botched escort of the 25-year-old German-born man by the security guards contracted by Australia's Department of Immigration and Citizenship has angered Thai authorities who said they were not informed of his arrival in Thailand.
Thai police have placed a 10,000 baht bounty on Carlo Konstantin Kohl, who served three years jail in Queensland and was being escorted from Australia to Germany on commercial flights that transited through Bangkok.
He disappeared in the early hours of May 16 but Thai authorities did not tell the department in Canberra until eight days later he could not be found in the airport's secure area.
A spokesman for the department said the man was taken to a transit hotel after his arrival from Australia because a commercial flight to Germany was delayed eight hours.
He was last seen taking a shower.
The department cannot explain how Mr Kohl was able to by-pass Thai immigration and customs barriers.
He was not carrying travel documents and Thai immigration records show no evidence of the man entering Thailand.
However security footage on May 17 shows a man passing through a security door with airline staff.
The guards who travelled with the man were from Serco, the company that provides security services for the department.
Thai police have been unable to locateMr Kohl while Thai airport authorities have launched an investigation into what happened.
Thai Immigration bureau major-general Suwichpol Imjairach said the man arrived on a Thai Airways flight without the knowledge of immigration police.
''Usually the immigration police must be informed if any foreign suspect is brought into the country but I have no idea why this case is different,'' he said.
''All the bureau can say now is that the suspect is not in the airport.''
Airport director Rawewan Netrakavesna said the Airports of Thailand authority would question all staff who were at the airport at the time of the escape.
''The AoT was not notified by the police who were escorting the suspect,'' she said.
The Bangkok Post newspaper quoted an AoT source as saying the escape had damaged the authority's reputation and prompted increased security measures at the airport.
Serco is preparing a report for the department in Canberra on why the man was left unguarded. The company could face a fine over the incident.
''The department views any escape very seriously and is grateful for the professionalism and support provided by the Thai authorities,'' the spokesman said.
The department has not released the name or description of the man who had been convicted of drugs, theft and other charges in Queensland even though he may commit offences in Thailand.
Foreign-born criminals are routinely removed from Australia after serving jail sentences.
Mr Kohl had told immigration officials he would leave Australia without causing problems. He is wanted on charges in Germany.
AoT Chairman Sita Divari said a preliminary investigation found that the suspect left the airport building through an emergency exit in the transit area. The electricity to the door was disconnected, he added.
The flight from Brisbane arrived at Suvarnabhumi about 8pm on May 15. The connecting flight was supposed to leave for Germany at 11pm, but was delayed because of bad weather in Europe and rescheduled for 8am on May 16.
Mr Kohl's Australian police escort went to sleep in the transit lounge.
''Mr Kohl has left the airport. He did not pass through the immigration desks,'' the Immigration police chief said.
''He faces a charge of illegally entering the country and investigators of the Immigration Bureau are trying to locate him.''
It is believed Immigration authorities throughout Thailand - including on Phuket - will now be looking out for the on-the-run fugitive. It's unusual to have a criminal delivered to Thailand and allowed to escape by law officers from another country.
The botched escort of the 25-year-old German-born man by the security guards contracted by Australia's Department of Immigration and Citizenship has angered Thai authorities who said they were not informed of his arrival in Thailand.
Thai police have placed a 10,000 baht bounty on Carlo Konstantin Kohl, who served three years jail in Queensland and was being escorted from Australia to Germany on commercial flights that transited through Bangkok.
He disappeared in the early hours of May 16 but Thai authorities did not tell the department in Canberra until eight days later he could not be found in the airport's secure area.
A spokesman for the department said the man was taken to a transit hotel after his arrival from Australia because a commercial flight to Germany was delayed eight hours.
He was last seen taking a shower.
The department cannot explain how Mr Kohl was able to by-pass Thai immigration and customs barriers.
He was not carrying travel documents and Thai immigration records show no evidence of the man entering Thailand.
However security footage on May 17 shows a man passing through a security door with airline staff.
The guards who travelled with the man were from Serco, the company that provides security services for the department.
Thai police have been unable to locateMr Kohl while Thai airport authorities have launched an investigation into what happened.
Thai Immigration bureau major-general Suwichpol Imjairach said the man arrived on a Thai Airways flight without the knowledge of immigration police.
''Usually the immigration police must be informed if any foreign suspect is brought into the country but I have no idea why this case is different,'' he said.
''All the bureau can say now is that the suspect is not in the airport.''
Airport director Rawewan Netrakavesna said the Airports of Thailand authority would question all staff who were at the airport at the time of the escape.
''The AoT was not notified by the police who were escorting the suspect,'' she said.
The Bangkok Post newspaper quoted an AoT source as saying the escape had damaged the authority's reputation and prompted increased security measures at the airport.
Serco is preparing a report for the department in Canberra on why the man was left unguarded. The company could face a fine over the incident.
''The department views any escape very seriously and is grateful for the professionalism and support provided by the Thai authorities,'' the spokesman said.
The department has not released the name or description of the man who had been convicted of drugs, theft and other charges in Queensland even though he may commit offences in Thailand.
Foreign-born criminals are routinely removed from Australia after serving jail sentences.
Mr Kohl had told immigration officials he would leave Australia without causing problems. He is wanted on charges in Germany.
AoT Chairman Sita Divari said a preliminary investigation found that the suspect left the airport building through an emergency exit in the transit area. The electricity to the door was disconnected, he added.
The flight from Brisbane arrived at Suvarnabhumi about 8pm on May 15. The connecting flight was supposed to leave for Germany at 11pm, but was delayed because of bad weather in Europe and rescheduled for 8am on May 16.
Mr Kohl's Australian police escort went to sleep in the transit lounge.
''Mr Kohl has left the airport. He did not pass through the immigration desks,'' the Immigration police chief said.
''He faces a charge of illegally entering the country and investigators of the Immigration Bureau are trying to locate him.''
When Thai police routinely ignore instructions to contact consuls and embassies its a non issues.. But if the shoe is on the other foot ??
Posted by LivinLOS on May 27, 2013 20:06