Immigration officers in Koh Samui are questioning two Lebanese nationals after raiding their restaurant, during which narcotics and an illegal Chinese medicine clinic were discovered. (Credit: Thai daily Bangkok Post/Surat Thani Immigration Police)
Two Lebanese nationals, I.A., 38, and C.R., 28, were arrested Saturday on Koh Samui, Thailand’s second largest island, accused of using a restaurant — of which the former is said to be a shareholder — as a front for drug trafficking. I.A. is also being prosecuted for the illegal practice of traditional Chinese medicine, in violation of Thai medical practice law.
Under a warrant issued by the Koh Samui Provincial Court, immigration authorities, working with tourist police, local police, and public health officials, carried out a raid at the restaurant in question, Buffalo Jungle, located in the Maret commune, the Bangkok Post reported Sunday. The search led to the seizure of a significant quantity of narcotics, including ecstasy, methamphetamine, ketamine, cocaine and hallucinogenic mushrooms, hidden in a bedroom, the daily said. Police also found acupuncture needles, cupping devices and other tools related to the practice of traditional Chinese medicine.
I.A. reportedly served in the Lebanese Army before moving to Thailand and is originally from Touline, in the Marjayoun district of southern Lebanon. On his Instagram account, he presents himself as a soldier of "Imam Mehdi," the 12th successor of the Prophet Mohammad according to Shiite tradition, who disappeared in 939 and whose return is awaited to end oppression in the world. He also says he is a personal trainer specializing in martial arts and combat sports, including MMA, boxing and Muay Thai, and highlights self-defense and military combat techniques. His activities also include physical preparation and care related to muscle recovery. In January 2020, he shared a poster in which the union of Jabal Amel municipalities in southern Lebanon congratulates him for his gold medal in Muay Thai in the 70 kg category, won in a championship organized in Thailand.
Buffalo Jungle combines a gym, jungle, beach, restaurant and bar, according to the establishment’s platform. According to Police Colonel Naruewat Phutthawiro, head of Surat Thani immigration, the restaurant is registered as a company, with three Thai shareholders in addition to I.A., who allegedly play no active role in the business and serve as figureheads, according to investigators. Thai police also say neither suspect is authorized to practice medicine in the country. They face several charges for possession and trafficking of narcotics classified in different categories: category 1 substances (ecstasy, methamphetamine), category 2 (ketamine, cocaine) and category 5 (psilocybin mushrooms).
