Thailand extradites Park Wang-yeol's alleged drug supplier, who remained silent with his head bowed

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[Financial News] A man in his 50s, identified as the supplier who provided drugs to the so-called "drug king" Park Wang-yeol, was arrested in Thailand and brought back to South Korea.
The Narcotics and Organized Crime Investigation Division of the Korean National Police Agency took custody of Choi, a man in his 50s who is suspected of supplying drugs to Park Wang-yeol, from Thai authorities and repatriated him to South Korea on Tuesday.
Choi arrived at Incheon International Airport on an Asiana Airlines flight at 9:08 a.m. After completing immigration procedures, he appeared in the arrivals hall at around 9:41 a.m.
When reporters asked whether he admitted to smuggling and supplying drugs, what his relationship with Park Wang-yeol was, whether he had operated on Telegram under the names Cheongdam or Cheongdam Sajang, and whether he had expected to be arrested in Thailand after Park Wang-yeol's capture, Choi kept his head bowed and did not answer.
Choi is accused of operating on Telegram under the names "Cheongdam" or "Cheongdam Sajang" and of smuggling into South Korea or helping distribute narcotics worth about 10 billion won, including roughly 22 kilograms of methamphetamine, since around 2019.
During its intensive investigation into Park Wang-yeol, the alleged drug ringleader in the Philippines, police secured a lead that Choi had supplied drugs to him. They then designated the Narcotics and International Crime Investigation Unit of the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency as the lead investigative body, merged five cases involving Choi for which arrest warrants had been issued nationwide, and tracked his activities at home and abroad.
As a result, police found no official record of Choi leaving the country after 2018, but received intelligence that he was staying in Thailand. Working with police liaison officers dispatched to both South Korea and Thailand, they built a joint cooperation system with Thai police and confirmed that Choi was living in Samut Prakan Province, about an hour by car from Bangkok.
Police later carried out a three-day joint stakeout at a luxury residential complex in the area with the help of Samut Prakan Provincial Police, and arrested Choi on Oct. 10 on charges of illegal stay.
During the repatriation process, police also received from Thai police the items seized at the time of his arrest, including a passport issued in another person's name and electronic devices. The police plan to use digital forensics on the seized materials as part of the investigation.
They also plan to investigate the full range of crimes Choi may have been involved in, including drug offenses and violations of the Passport Act, as well as any conspiracy between Park Wang-yeol and Choi. Police also intend to trace and recover any criminal proceeds Choi obtained.
welcome@fnnews.com Jang Yu-ha Reporter