Three Nigerian Nationals Arrested in Phuket for Reckless Driving and Drug Offenses

Two Nigerian men are captured and taken to Phuket City Police Station after a physical struggle with police officers on March 11, 2025.

Police in Phuket, Thailand, have arrested three Nigerian nationals in separate incidents involving reckless driving and drug-related offenses. The arrests were made following police investigations and public reports, leading to the apprehension of the suspects.

In the first incident on March 11, Phuket City Police responded to reports of a Mazda car being driven recklessly, performing dangerous stunts at traffic lights from Koh Kaew to the Darasamut intersection. Thalang traffic officers pursued the vehicle, but the driver evaded capture, speeding along Chaloem Phra Kiat Rama 9 Bypass Road toward Central Junction. The car was later found abandoned in a dead-end alley near an old house in Nanachat Soi 2. Two shirtless men, wearing only shorts, attempted to flee into dense undergrowth but were subdued after a struggle that resulted in minor injuries to both suspects and officers.

Police had to wrestle them, and both parties suffered minor injuries.

The suspects appeared intoxicated and were uncooperative, with language barriers complicating communication despite the use of translation applications. Due to the late hour, interpreters were unavailable, and the men were taken to Phuket City Police Station, where they continued to behave erratically. One of the suspects was later identified as Mr. George, a Nigerian national wanted under a warrant issued by the Phuket Provincial Court on August 21, 2023, for overstaying his visa and possession of Category 2 narcotics (cocaine). The second suspect remained unidentified, lacking passport documentation.

A 32-year-old Nigerian suspect, named Mbanaso, accused of selling cocaine to a Swiss tourist is taken to Kamala Police Station in Phuket on March 10, 2025

In a separate case, a Nigerian national was arrested in connection with an earlier drug investigation. The case originated on March 9, when police arrested a Swiss tourist for drug use in public. The tourist, identified as Mr. Sascha, voluntarily entered rehabilitation and provided information to Kamala Police about his supplier. Sascha alleged that he had purchased cocaine multiple times from a Nigerian national named Mbanaso through WhatsApp, with payments made via bank transfers.

Following an investigation, authorities conducted a sting operation on March 10, leading to the arrest of Mbanaso at the entrance of Kamala Police Station at 9:40 p.m. He was found in possession of 0.82 grams of cocaine and charged with distributing Category 2 narcotics. If convicted, he faces penalties of up to two years in prison, a fine not exceeding 40,000 baht, or both.

The two shirtless men wearing only shorts fled into dense undergrowth but were captured after a physical struggle