Authorities in the area claim that a Thai drug dealer underwent multiple facial plastic surgeries to pass for "a handsome Korean man" and avoid detection.
Saharat Sawangjaeng, also known as Jimin Cheong, was apprehended last week in a Bangkok condominium.
Police said "none of his original face was left" after searching for the 25-year-old for three months.
By following the flow of ecstasy to other Bangkok sellers and consumers, they were able to find him.
Police were told by witnesses that he was a "handsome Korean man.".
Sawangjaeng has been accused of bringing in illegal drugs. The police reported last week that he had admitted to purchasing MDMA, also known as ecstasy, using cryptocurrencies on the dark web.
Sawangjaeng had been taken into custody at least three times in prior years. He once had 290 ecstasy pills and 2kg (4.4lb) of liquid narcotics in his possession when he was arrested on an assault charge.
However, he was able to get away from custody and once underwent complicated surgical procedures to elude the authorities.
Additionally, he adopted a Korean name. He allegedly told the police that he wanted to start over in South Korea.
According to The Straits Times, Thai Police Major-General Thammasutee called him "one of the main causes of Bangkok's MDMA epidemic.".
He is a drug lord who, at the age of 25, is importing MDMA from Europe. We think that suspects are more numerous abroad. We'll keep looking into this," Mr. Thammasutee said.
