2 Ukrainian Men Wanted By US Homeland Security Arrested in Phuket

Thailand’s Crime Suppression police raided a Villa in Phuket and arrested two Ukrainian men wanted in the US for allegedly money laundering and tax evasion.

The two Ukrainian nationals were identified as Oleg Olynyk and Oleksandr Yurchyk.

In the US, the men were wanted by the IRS and Home Land Security for colluding to provide shelter to illegal immigrants, money laundering, and tax evasion.

The arrests were coordinated jointly by Thailand’s Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), Crime Suppression Division (CSD), and US Homeland Security Investigations Division (HSI).

According to the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) commissioner Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop Bhuridej, the US Homeland Security sought cooperation from the CIB in tracking down and detaining the two fugitives.

Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop said the two fled to Thailand after committing the alleged offenses between 2007 and 2021.

Homeland Security Seeking Extradition of Ukrainian men

In Florida, they ran job placement agencies and allegedly placed hundreds of illegal migrant workers in jobs at hotels, bars, restaurants, and massage parlors.

They had allegedly illegally earned and laundered the equivalent of about US$62 million and allegedly evaded US taxes in excess of US$9.5 million, according to the US Internal Revenue Service.

A Ukrainian translate specialist accompanied the Ukrainian men to the police station, where they were questioned by the police. According to reports, the two men admitted that they were the people named in the US arrest warrants and that they planned to fight the case in court.

Homeland Security is seeking their extradition to stand trial in the state of Florida in the United States.