Ayob said as the man had been handed over to Thailand, Bukit Aman would leave it to their Thai counterparts to take further action against the 41-year-old man, who is originally from Perak.

“This man is married to a Thai woman and was arrested in Laos. There is no plan to bring him back to Malaysia.

“He was arrested and handed over to Thailand. So, let him face charges in Thailand for (the alleged) drug-related activities.

“If Thailand has enough evidence to take action against him, then it can proceed,” he said at a press conference at Bukit Aman here.

Ayob said the police would hand over any Malaysian citizen who breaks the law overseas to the relevant authorities.

The man, believed to be a key member of a drug syndicate, was wanted in Thailand for drug smuggling activities.

He is suspected of being the mastermind behind drug networks across Thailand, Malaysia, China, Singapore and Laos, and was also alleged to have used Thailand for money laundering activities and as a transit location for drug smuggling to Malaysia, Taiwan and Australia.

On Dec 28, the suspect, who is considered a significant figure within transnational drug syndicates, was apprehended in Laos.

Bangkok Post reported that the arrest followed a collaborative effort between Thai and Laos law enforcement, which came after the arrests of seven other suspects and the confiscation of 998kg of crystal methamphetamine in Ratchaburi, Thailand, in June 2022.