A fugitive Swiss tourist has been arrested in Thailand for alleged money laundering and manufacturing illegal drugs in his homeland.

The suspected fugitive, named only as Alfred, 64, was accused of illegally producing controlled substances like sex performance enhancers and appetite suppressants, which he had sold to bodybuilders in his home country.

He had allegedly been operating from 2012 to 2015 in the Canton of Aargau, amassing at least 650,000 Swiss francs (724, 000 USD) before police swooped in on his factory, where they confiscated money, sales records and receipts for drug precursors.

Alfred reportedly evaded arrest by flying to Thailand and was arrested this month following a request from Swiss authorities to extradite him.

The Swiss government had sought the help of Thailand's Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) this October to track the alleged drug manufacturer.

The CIB launched an investigation and found that Alfred had been living in a house in Kalasin province in northeast Thailand. They obtained an arrest warrant from the Kalasin Provincial Court and carried out the arrest led by Police Lieutenant General Jiraphop Phuridet.

He said: 'From the investigation, it was found that from October 2012 until March 31, 2015, Mr. Alfred produced and possessed a large quantity of illegal substances in Switzerland.

'In 2012 to 2014, one customer generated a profit of as high as 112,896 Swiss francs (126,000 USD). The drugs were either resold by other distributors or consumed for personal use. Most of the customers were in the bodybuilding industry. The suspect earned a lot of profit before escaping.'

The police were coordinating with the International Affairs Department of the Office of the Attorney General and the Swiss Embassy to take legal action.

Alfred reportedly confessed to the charges during interrogation.