Thai authorities have revealed that a drug dealer in Bangkok underwent a series of facial plastic surgeries to resemble a “handsome Korean man” in order to evade the law.
Saharat Sawangjaeng, who went by the alias Seong Jimin, was captured on Thursday 23rd February 2023 after a three-month manhunt.
The 25-year-old’s original face was unrecognisable after undergoing several cosmetic procedures.
Police were able to track him down in Bangkok by following the distribution of ecstasy to other sellers and buyers in the area.
Witnesses described Mr Saharat as a “handsome Korean man”, a disguise he achieved by undergoing extensive surgical procedures and adopting a Korean name.
In a video of the arrest provided by the police, Mr Saharat stated that he wanted to move to South Korea, saying, “I want to start a new life. I am bored of Thailand.”
He has been charged with the illegal import of narcotics, admitting to ordering MDMA through the dark web using cryptocurrencies.
Despite being arrested on multiple occasions in the past, Mr Saharat managed to evade detention and become one of the main causes of Bangkok’s MDMA epidemic, according to Thai Police major-general Theeradej Thammasutee.
Mr. Saharat mostly imported drugs from the Netherlands but claimed that he did not know the identity of the people he dealt with as part of the operation.
