German fled via fire exit as guards sleptPublished: 28 May 2013
The German convict who fled from Suvarnabhumi airport escaped through a fire exit after disarming its security system, all while his Australian guard escorts slept, authorities have found.
The Immigration Police announcement offering a 10,000-baht reward for information leading to the arrest of Carlo Konstantin Kohl.
A police investigation found the suspect, identified as Carlo Konstantin Kohl, 25, fled Suvarnabhumi on May 15 as he and his escorts waited for a flight to Frankfurt.
Kohl was found guilty in several robbery cases in Australia and had served a jail term there, Immigration Bureau Division 2 chief Pol Maj Gen Suwichpol Imjairach said yesterday.
Having completed his prison sentence in Australia, Kohl was being escorted by two civilian guards hired by Australian authorities back to Germany.
It is not clear whether he would have to serve more jail time in Germany, Pol Maj Gen Suwichpol said.
Kohl was supposed to make the trip from Brisbane to Frankfurt on Thai Airways, and had a stopover in Bangkok.
He and the two guards arrived at Suvarnabhumi at 8pm on May 15. They were due to board the plane at 11pm that night but poor weather in Germany caused their departure to be delayed to 8am the following day.
Kohl took the opportunity to escape while the two guards slept in the transit lounge about 4.30am, according to the investigation.
Security camera footage from the airport shows him scoping out the terminal before deciding to use the fire exit at the G concourse, which was relatively empty.
Photos of Kohl were placed around the airport after his escape, while a 10,000-baht reward is being offered to anyone who can provide investigators with clues that lead to his arrest, an airport source said.
However, he remains at large, and is believed to be hiding somewhere in greater Bangkok.
"What we know now is that Kohl has left the airport," Pol Maj Gen Suwichpol said.
The Immigration Bureau has charged Kohl with illegal entry into Thailand.
Meanwhile, the Airports of Thailand (AoT) has raised concerns over Kohl's getaway.
"The incident is an important lesson for us that requires serious checks for possible security flaws," AoT board chairman Sita Divari said yesterday.
The investigation found Kohl had disconnected the electricity supply at an emergency exit in a restricted area in the G concourse.
As a result he was able to use the fire exit without setting off the alarm system, an AoT source said.
AoT staff using the restricted area are required to have their identity cards checked by a security device, but by disconnecting the electricity Kohl stopped the equipment from working.
Lt Cdr Sita also called for swifter investigations that would prevent criminal suspects from leaving the airport.
In Kohl's case, investigators spent three days before learning the convict had cut off the electricity at the fire exit and fled the airport.
A strict requirement for foreign authorities to inform the AoT in advance of the transnational dispatch of criminals is also needed to bolster security, he added.
I really wouldn’t want to be those Australian guards when they get back to Australia. I suspect that a major bo**ocking is going to take place.
Separately, it does raise the issue of how secure is Swampy for those of us who use it regularly?
If an Australian, presumably with no knowledge of the Swampy security systems can disconnect their electricity supply and thereby use a fire exit to make his escape, without setting off alarms how easy must it be for a terrorist to break in? To compound the security issue, he was then able to make escape via secure areas, without any security badge/pass.
