Thai police arrest Olympic gold medallist on the run for fraud

A fugitive Olympic gold medallist boxer who was on the run after failing to appear in court for lottery fraud has been tracked down by police in Thailand and arrested.

Police said Friday they found and arrested Manus Boonjumnong, 45, a suspect wanted for failing to appear in court on two counts of fraud, at a "hideout" in Nonthaburi province.

The light welterweight boxer, who won Olympic gold at Athens 2004 and silver in Beijing four years later, defrauded victims out of 2 million baht ($64,000) in government lottery ticket quotas in 2021.

He was given two years and nine months in prison but failed to appear at court for his sentencing earlier this year.

On Friday the court ordered his imprisonment at Bangkok Remand Prison.

AFP