Russian gangs are sticking QR codes in public areas to sell drugs across a Thai holiday island.

The alleged smugglers plastered cartoon QR stickers in busy tourist areas in Phuket, which linked to online drug markets.

Scanning the seemingly innocuous posters led to a Russian and English language website requiring login credentials, where clients can pay for illegal drugs through cryptocurrency.

Once transactions were completed, sellers would then send a GPS location to pick up the narcotics.

Phuket MP Chalermpong Saengdee alerted authorities to the 'new form of drug trafficking' which was 'spreading alarmingly' across the island.

He said: 'I, Chalermpong Sangdee, a Member of Parliament for Phuket District 2 of the Prachachon Party, would like to call on relevant agencies, including the police, the Office of the Narcotics Control Board, and security officials, to urgently investigate, identify the source, and carry out serious crackdowns before this problem escalates and affects Phuket's image as a world-class tourist destination.'

Choeng Thale Police Station launched an investigation and found stickers attached to streetlamps and electric boxes throughout Phuket. The stickers were labelled with abbreviations of narcotics including cocaine, methamphetamine, MDMA, amphetamine and LSD.

CCTV footage from October 31 shows the stickers being affixed by a tourist, later identified by authorities as Russian man Semen Kasparian, 26.

The Phuket Provincial Court has issued a warrant for his arrest on Wednesday.

The once-pristine island of Phuket has been marred by over-tourism as the Thai government implements a visa-free scheme to boost revenue following the barren pandemic years.

Angry locals claim the push for tourist dollars has attracted crowds of 'low-quality' visitors from Russia, India and Australia. There are also fears that the island has become an enclave of criminal activity, with police unable to control street fights and more organised ruffians setting up rackets among local businesses.