Tourist police in Phuket, Thailand arrested a 24-year-old Nigerian national on May 8, 2026, after an artificial intelligence (AI) facial recognition system flagged him for overstaying his visa by 877 days, equivalent to more than two years.
The suspect, Clinton Ubasinachi Ekechukwu, was identified in Kathu district during a targeted crackdown on foreigners suspected of immigration offences and other illegal activity in major tourist areas. Officers deployed a Mobile AI Camera system installed in a smart patrol vehicle to screen individuals in the area. The system is linked to a central database of foreign nationals whose legal permission to remain in Thailand has expired.
According to police, the system alerted officers to two men flagged for overstaying offences. Ekechukwu was among those identified. Investigators said he had entered Thailand under the country’s 60-day visa exemption scheme and remained in the country long after his authorised period had lapsed.
He was charged with being a foreign national remaining in Thailand after expiry of his permitted stay and was taken to Kathu Police Station, where legal proceedings and deportation procedures were initiated.
Tourist police said the facial recognition technology enables officers to identify individuals with expired immigration status in real time, improving enforcement capacity in high-traffic visitor areas where manual checks are logistically challenging.
The operation was carried out in response to orders to intensify checks on overstayers and individuals under suspicion in Phuket’s busy tourist zones.
