A Russian man, described as a DJ, was arrested on March 9 by tourist police on Koh Pha Ngan for his alleged involvement in an AI-powered drug operation that supplied narcotics to tourists.
The police received a tip-off that a foreign national living in the Koh Pha Ngan area was selling various drugs to tourists, using a red Toyota Yaris to move around the island. Officers spotted the vehicle leaving a local road at high speed and conducted a stop in the Ban Tai area, where they identified the driver as Anton, a 41-year-old Russian national.
Anton admitted to using cocaine before leaving home. A search of his residence uncovered significant quantities of drugs, including 109.06 grams of cocaine, 6.63 grams of cocaine, 1.67 grams of ketamine, 9.70 grams of ketamine, 4.42 grams of MDMA in crystal form, and five MDMA tablets.
According to the suspect, he worked as a DJ at entertainment venues on Koh Pha Ngan and used this role to reach tourist customers. He claimed that he obtained the drugs through a Telegram account named “TDS24,” which provided an automated reply with a GPS location for collection after payment.
Anton faces charges related to the sale and possession of various narcotics, including category 2 drugs (cocaine) and category 1 drugs (MDMA), as well as the sale of psychotropic substances (ketamine) for commercial purposes. The investigation will continue to identify any wider network connected to the suspected supply chain.
The police also warned about the presence of new drugs, such as “2C-B,” being sold in Koh Pha Ngan’s party areas, which may be mixed with other substances, including MDMA, ketamine, cocaine, and caffeine, increasing the risk to users.
This incident follows a similar case in late February, where a Russian man was arrested on Koh Pha Ngan after a speeding car stop and a subsequent search of his home, where several types of narcotics were found.