The incident began at about 11:15am, when two Phuket Immigration officers arrived at a luxury villa on a hill in the Laem Singh area, in Cherng Talay, to execute an arrest warrant for an Indian man overstaying in the country.
However, a large number of foreign private security personnel prevented the officers from entering the villa and making the arrests. The bodyguards obstructed the officers and assaulted them. In the assault, the two immigration officers were injured by one of the men wielding a baseball bat.
The Immigration officers retreated and the bodyguards blocked the entrance to the villa with two cars. One of the bodyguards was reportedly carrying a weapon that was similar to a firearm.
The Immigration officers called for backup. Phuket Immigration Chief Col Thanet Sakchai was notified of the situation, who in turn requested support from Phuket Provincial Police Commander Pol Maj Gen Sermphan Sirikong and Region 8 Police.
The special operations unit arrived and a siege lasting more than four hours ensued. The SWAT team eventually entered the villa grounds and secured the area.
At the villa, there were almost 20 cars and an ambulance. Inside the villa were various wild animals such as wildcats (later confirmed to be a lion), pythons and marco parrots. Park officials were called in to inspect permits for keeping such animals.
Offices also found inside the home more than 30 drones.
The officers took all the foreigners arrested at the scene to Cherng Talay Station, where during questioning police learned that the villa was being rented by an Indian man and his Ukrainian wife. They had been staying at the villa for about three months. Apparently the villa, on a plot of about 10 rai with sea views, is valued at about B500 million.
At Cherng Talay Police Station offices charged Russian national Shkodo Georgi, 33, for overstaying in the country 60 days.
Indian nationals, “Mr Kartik”, 29, and Saxena Yuvraj, 25, were both also charged for overstaying in the country for two days.
So far Cherng Talay Police and Phuket Immigration have yet to confirm whether any person was charged for assaulting an officer and obstructing officials from performing their duties.