A Nigerian national, Clinton Ubasinachi Ekechukwu, is facing deportation from Thailand after an artificial intelligence facial recognition system exposed him as a foreigner living illegally in the Southeast Asian country. 

The Peoples Gazette learnt that Mr Ekechukwu’s arrest was part of a nationwide crackdown on transnational crimes and immigration offences ordered by a Police Lieutenant-General Saksira Puek-am. 

According to reports, law enforcement officers were issued a mobile Al camera system linked to a central database to help in identifying long-time visa overstayers. 

The technology led to the arrest of the 24-year-old by tourist police during one of the raids in Kathu, Phuket last Friday after the system flagged him as an illegal immigrant as well as an Ivorian national Ousmane Kone.

Crime Asia reported that further investigation by police showed that Mr Ekechukwu had overstayed his visa by almost two-and-a-half years after initially entering Thailand under the 60-day visa exemption scheme.

In Mr Kone’s case, authorities found that he had been living as an undocumented foreigner in Thailand for more than two years beyond his legally permitted stay in the country. 

The two suspects were subsequently handed over to investigators at the Kathu Police Station, where they were being held for prosecution and deportation proceedings, The Thaiger reported. 

Additionally, Messrs Ekechukwu and Kone have reportedly been charged with immigration offences, including overstaying their visas in Thailand.

Reports noted that the accuracy of the facial recognition system received positive feedback from officials, including tourist police commander, who assured that law enforcement agencies would continue to deploy technology to detect illegal immigrants. 

Recall that last week, The Gazette reported that a Nigerian national, Samuel Egbujonuma Silas, was arrested by the tourist police during an alleged undercover cocaine bust in a nationwide operation targeting foreigners suspected to be involved in criminal activities.

Also, another Thailand-based Nigerian, Louis Junior, was apprehended in the Southeast Asian country following a reported attempt to sell cocaine to undercover police officers last week.