- Title: THAILAND: Suspected Belgian mafia boss arrested in Thailand
- Date: 31st July 2012
- Summary: BANGKOK, THAILAND (JULY 31, 2012) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF CRIME SUPPRESSION DIVISION THAI POLICE ESCORTING BELGIAN SUSPECT, MARC DE SCHUTTER, OUT OF BUILDING HANDCUFFED SCHUTTER WALKING INTO NEWS CONFERENCE ROOM SCHUTTER SITTING IN NEWS CONFERENCE VARIOUS OF SCHUTTER IN NEWS CONFERENCE MEDIA IN NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Thai) BELGIUM EMBASSY OFFICER, NAME WITHHELD, SAYING: "He has been involved with drugs and money laundering gangs in Israel, the Netherlands, Ireland and Albania. There's also a murder case of his wife for which he got help from a high ranking police official from Belgium." SECURITY POLICE (SOUNDBITE) (English) BELGIAN SUSPECT, MARC DE SCHUTTER, SAYING: "Four days ago I came to Bangkok to pick up my new passport for the next five years and today I'm here. What can I say?" SCHUTTER IN NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Thai) POLICE COLONEL PRASOBCHOKE PROMMOON, CRIME SUPPRESSION POLICE DIVISION, SAYING: "His networks are mafia in Italy, Israel and other contries. We'll forward the case to a prosecutor to proceed on his extradition." VARIOUS OF SCHUTTER WALKING OUT OF NEWS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 15th August 2012 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Thailand
- City:
- Country: Thailand
- Topics:
- Reuters ID: LVA9870G86HH1X2GD3ZGUN9XI5TF
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- Story Text: A Belgium man wanted on several charges of murder, money laundering and other Mafia-related crimes has been arrested by Thai police, authorities in Bangkok said on Tuesday (July 31).
Fifty-seven-year-old Marc De Schutter was presented at a news conference handcuffed and flanked by masked police.
Thai authorities described him as Belgium's 'number one most wanted man' and said he was arrested in Phuket, a resort in southern Thailand.
"He has been involved with drugs and money laundering gangs in Israel, the Netherlands, Ireland and Albania. There's also a murder case of his wife for which he got help from high ranking police official from Belgium," a Belgium embassy official, whose name was withheld, said.
Schutter said he had been living in Phuket for over a year and had travelled recently to Bangkok.
"Four days ago I came to Bangkok to pick up my new passport for the next five years and today I'm here. What can I say?" Schutter said.
Thai authorities said the process for Schutter's extradition to Belgium was already underway.
"His networks are mafia in Italy, Israel and other contries. We'll forward the case to a prosecutor to proceed on his extradition," Police Colonel Prasobchoke Prommoon of the Crime Suppression Police Division.
Police said they confiscated computers, mobile phones and froze bank accounts as part of the arrest. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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