Pfeifer was wanted under a red notice by Interpol. He was wanted in the Czech Republic for sexual offences with minors, including intentional passing his HIV infection.
A nationwide manhunt for Pfeifer was launched after deputy national police chief Pol Gen Wuthi Liptapallop issued an order for all police to be on the lookout for him. Police in Thailand believe Pfeifer may have infected up to 10 people in the Kingdom. (See story here.)
The alarm was raised in Phuket when Pfeifer was spotted at the Tesco Thalang shopping mall yesterday evening (Jan 17) and a police officer on duty there was notified.
The officer responded and questioned Pfeifer, who denied he was the man police were looking for.
“The officer took Pfeifer’s motorbike key while he called for backup to make sure this was the man we were looking for, but he (Pfeifer) had a spare motorbike key on him and took off,” Col Sompong The Phuket News this morning.
Cherng Talay Police tracked down Pfeifer to his rented room at Sila Apartment in Soi Bang Tao 3, where his motorbike was parked outside.
Pfeifer was taken into custody, then taken to the Phuket Immigration Office detention centre in Phuket Town, where he remained overnight.
Pfeifer is expected to be flown to Bangkok to be handed over to authorities there later today.
Additional reporting by Tanyaluk Sakoot