June 10, 2024

The Indonesian and Thai police forces are collaborating to search for Freddy Pratama, the Indonesian drug kingpin believed to be hiding at the Thai-Myanmar border, according to Krishna Murti, the Chief of Investigation at the International Collaboration Department of the Indonesian Police Force.

Freddy, known as the “Escobar of Indonesia,” has been the most wanted criminal by the Indonesian government for drug trafficking since 2014, with connections in Malaysia and Thailand. Efforts to capture him have been ongoing since 2023, with cooperation between Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand.

The Indonesian authorities have requested the Thai authorities to arrest Freddy. In exchange, they have repatriated Chaowalit Thongduang, also known as Sia Paeng Nanod, a Thai criminal arrested in Bali. A team of 10 Indonesian special forces officers accompanying Chaowalit has now joined forces with the Thai police to arrest Freddy.

In September 2023, three Indonesian nationals suspected to be Freddy’s associates were arrested by Thai authorities. There are also suspicions that Freddy’s relatives through his wife are involved in drug trafficking in Thailand.