Recently we have been featured in an article in the UK’s Daily Mail where Lisa Corneliusson, a British national, was arrested in Thailand on suspicion of being involved in the procurement of illicit drugs worth billions of dollars. The investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA) turned up several large seizures of drugs including steroids and amphetamines, which are well known to be used as performance-enhancing drugs by professional athletes in sport and by those who partake in extreme body building and other forms of physical competition. Although this is not the first time that Corneliusson has been named in an investigation into high profile sports people, her links to a criminal defence and consultancy firm in Thailand were previously unknown. However, after this article was published, we were able to provide our own research into the background of Corneliusson, who is at the moment under investigation by the Thai police for suspected offences involving Thailand’s Royal Thai navy.
Corneliusson’s profession is not mentioned in the article, but it should be noted that she is a well-known writer and commentator in the UK and in other countries. Her bio on the Cornelliussian site states that she is a freelance journalist and writes for various publications including the Spectator. At no stage has she been employed by the RTC, nor does she appear to hold any professional qualifications with the Thai navy. It is possible that she does have some experience working as a consultant with the RTC, but this would only have been during a brief period as she did work for the Thai navy in 1998, so is not considered “active” or “regular”. In contrast, it is possible that her association with the National Anti-Vibration Commission could be the source of her position with the consultancy company.
We can see from the above that Corneliusson’s connection with the RTC may relate to her working as a consultant with the NCA. However, it is also possible that she has a direct experience of being a trafficker, which is a much more serious and damaging aspect of her profession. If this is the case, then she would be damaging law and business in Thailand and internationally. The fact that she remains at the helm of the company while admitting to being a trafficker is simply inexcusable. Given the nature of the position, there are very high penalties for directors of KPI companies, so it is important that any evidence of dubious professional practices are quickly uncovered and dealt with.