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BANGKOK (AFP) – Interpol has issued a “red notice” to arrest the fugitive Thai heir to the Red Bull Billions for his role in a fatal hit-and-run, police said on Sunday (October 4).
The international police organization’s move is the latest in the saga of years surrounding Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya, who crashed his Ferrari in 2012, killing a police officer.
The charges against Vorayuth, the grandson of the Red Bull co-founder, were dropped in July, sparking public outrage from Thais, who saw him as an example of impunity enjoyed by the kingdom’s elite.
It spurred investigations by several government agencies, including the Attorney General’s Office, which last month announced new charges against Vorayuth for reckless driving causing death and cocaine use.
National Police spokesman Colonel Krissana Pattanacharoen confirmed Sunday that a red advisory, Interpol’s most urgent alert, was issued earlier this week.
“After receiving confirmation, we passed our request to 194 member countries asking for their assistance,” he told AFP.
“We have to do whatever it takes to … finally bring him back to the country because it is a serious crime.”
As of Sunday afternoon, a red notice for Vorayuth had not been posted on the Interpol website.
The fugitive heir fled the country in 2017 on a private jet.
After the charges against him were dropped in July, an investigation by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s office concluded that the entire investigation had been “compromised.”
The public outcry for Vorayuth came at a particularly tense period for the government, coinciding with almost daily protests in Thailand led by pro-democracy student leaders calling for Prayut’s resignation.
Protesters have carried cardboard cutouts of the Red Bull logo to symbolize their anger at the military-aligned government, which enjoys close alliances with the kingdom’s billionaire families.
The clan of Red Bull co-founder Chaleo Yoovidhya is the second-richest family in Thailand, with an estimated fortune of $ 20.2 billion (Singapore $ 27.6 billion) according to Forbes.
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