Russian tourist Ilia Orlov was found tortured and murdered near Karon Beach in Phuket. Police investigate possible links to Russian mafia amid rising Russian crime on the island. Battered body dumped in a canal, with no attempt to hide his identity. His belongings were found intact including an expensive Apple MacBook laptop.
Phuket police are pursuing a murder investigation following the discovery of the body of 27-year-old Ilia Orlov near Karon Beach on Sunday. The Russian national appears to have been tortured, murdered and his body disposed of in a canal next to the well-known Naga statue near the beach. The murder comes at a time of heightened numbers of Russian long-stay visitors on the island. At the same time, a significant increase in property investment in Phuket has also brought a marked increase in gangland crime linked to Russian mafia groups.
Police in Phuket are investigating the discovery of the body of a Russian tourist on Tuesday. He is believed to have been tortured and murdered. In addition, it is understood that officers have spoken to the man’s wife. In short, it appears that his behaviour in the days before his death was a cause for concern.
Certainly, one aspect being investigated by police is whether the dead man had been reported as a missing person.
In brief, the man was identified as 27-year-old Ilia Orlov. Previously, Mr. Orlov had entered Thailand on January 24 of this year. His initial visa was a 90-day tourist visa. After that, he appeared to have renewed this type of visa.
Russian national Ilia Orlov’s visa history and arrival in Thailand prior to his violent death in Phuket
When the Russian, believed to have been involved in online services, arrived in Thailand, he was accompanied by his wife and child.
At length, his second visa had expired on July 22, but it was renewed after Mr. Orlov returned to Thailand beforehand from Malaysia. His passport was stamped at a border crossing in Satun.
His body was discovered on Tuesday afternoon at approximately 1 p.m. The discovery was reported by Ms. Na, the owner of a nearby massage shop. She told reporters that she heard a shout from a passerby and immediately alerted the police.
The remains of Mr. Orlov were dumped in a canal adjacent to Karon Beach. They were found near the well-known Naga statue in the area. Initially, investigators believed his death occurred not more than 8 hours previously. This would be the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Daytime discovery of the Russian’s body near Karon Beach shows no attempt by killers to conceal his identity
At the same time, whoever dumped the young man’s body made no attempt to conceal his identity. A black satchel found near the body contained all his papers, including his Russian passport. Furthermore, an expensive MacBook Air was simultaneously dumped with his body.
Undoubtedly, this was not a robbery. For instance, his bank cards were also found within the dead man’s belongings.
In particular, the passport of a Russian woman, believed to be Mr. Orlov’s wife, was also found among his papers.
Significantly, the body showed signs of systematic torture. Police have confirmed that the bruise marks on both sides of the body rule out any suggestion that they may have been self-inflicted.
Additionally, there were cuts as well as bruises to the body at specific places.
Evidence points to systematic torture as police investigate Orlov’s death and find his personal belongings
On Tuesday, local police quickly called in a medical forensic examiner from Vachira Phuket Hospital. Meanwhile, a full autopsy is being conducted on the body.
In particular, as well as bruises believed to have been caused by a blunt object, the victim was subjected to deep cuts. Notably, these incisions reached the bone. They were inflicted on both arms and one leg.
Mr. Orlov had suffered severe bruising on the chin, mouth, eye sockets, and Adam’s apple. In short, a cruel and hideous death. On a preliminary basis, investigators believe that the man’s death was ultimately caused by ruptured arteries.
The death has been reported to Russian consular officials. A full murder investigation is underway. At length, police are collecting CCTV footage along all routes near the Naga statue. In addition, forensic analysis of where the body was found has been carried out. Police will seek out his phone records.
Forensic examination complete as investigators gather CCTV footage and explore evidence from the crime scene
In the meantime, police are studying his laptop for further information. They have also spoken to Mr. Orlov’s family in Russia as well as his wife. The Russian man had been behaving out of character for some four to five days before his death was discovered on Tuesday.
Phuket has become a magnet for Russian tourists to Thailand, particularly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Thailand is targeting two million Russian tourists this year. Certainly, Phuket alone welcomed one million visitors from the northern country in 2023.
Indeed, in 2022, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov inaugurated a new Russian consulate on the holiday island.
Russian expat numbers grew after Ukraine War bringing elevated crime, mafia groups and scrutiny in Phuket
However, apart from being among the biggest property investors on the island, there is also a growing Russian expat community. This particular community appears to have an entrepreneurial flair. In turn, they have fallen foul of local business laws designed to protect Thai nationals.
Massive CIB-led Phuket crackdown sweeps away vast Russian business network with ฿1.5 billion seized
At the same time, a proportion of Russian tourists visiting Phuket are linked to transnational crime. The island has seen disturbing Russian-on-Russian extortion activity as well as murders and attempted murders.
In May, there was a massive Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) led operation targeting a Russian business network in Phuket. At length, in both Bangkok and Phuket, over a hundred people were arrested at dozens of locations. Officers later revealed that over ฿1.5 billion in assets was seized.
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Further reading:
Massive CIB-led Phuket crackdown sweeps away vast Russian business network with ฿1.5 billion seized
Rabid Russian assaults police team in Phuket after going berserk at a city centre hotel on Tuesday
Swiss man Uli Fehr’s hellish Thai nightmare as he is detained and branded as a threat to society
Russian mafia gang extort young Russian couple out of $50k at a local coffee shop on Ko Samui
Russian faces counterfeit charges after gifting toy money to bar staff while also paying in baht
