Chairopoulos, now 46, was arrested in Athens last Thursday (Oct 27), reports the Greek City Times.
Without specifically naming Chairopoulos, the report said he was “said to be the one who in February 2019, murdered his 43-year-old wife of Niramon ’Bea’ Aewkaew in Phuket.”
The report included photos of Chairopoulos and Ms Niramon.
Chairopoulos was arrested on Thursday afternoon by a team of police officers of the Athens Security Sub-Directorate, the newspaper reported.
No other details of his arrest were explained.
Cherng Talay Police requested an Interpol Red Notice be issued for Chairopoulos after officers learned that he had already fled the country before the warrant for his arrest had been issued on Feb 18, 2019.
Chairopoulos boarded Emirates Flight EK0379 to Dubai, departing Phuket at 2am, on Feb 14 – the same night that Ms Niramon, 43, originally from Phatthalung, is believed to have been murdered.
Her body was found by her sister two days later. She had been battered to death.
When Ms Niramon’s body was discovered, her hands and feet were still bound and she had a black cloth stuffed into her mouth. (See story here.)
Cherng Talay Police requested the Red notice be issued on Feb 20. (See story here.)
“The request for the Royal Thai Police to ask Interpol to issue a Red Notice for the arrest of Chairopoulos is still in process with Royal Thai Police,” Cherng Talay Police Chief Col Akkanit Danpitaksan told The Phuket News at the time.
“It is taking a long time because it must pass the workings of Foreign Affairs Division of the Royal Thai Police and the public prosecutor. It is their duty to respond to this case,” was all Col Akkanit could offer to explain the delay.
“We have done our job already. We have concluded our investigation and sent all the information to the Royal Thai Police headquarters in Bangkok,” he added.
If Chairopoulos were arrested outside Thailand, police would seek extradition, Col Akkanit assured.