Charles Sobhraj, also known as the "Serpent," was a French serial killer and thief who operated in the 1970s. He is believed to have killed at least 12 people, mostly young Western tourists, in Thailand, Nepal, and India. Sobhraj was born in Vietnam in 1944 and spent much of his childhood in France and India. He began his criminal career as a thief and con artist, but eventually turned to murder.
Sobhraj's modus operandi was to target young, Western tourists, particularly backpackers, and gain their trust by offering them drugs and other favors. Once he had gained their trust, he would then poison them with drugs or other means and steal their belongings. He often left a calling card in the form of a drawing of a serpent at the scenes of his crimes.
Sobhraj was finally arrested in 1976 in India and sentenced to life in prison, but he managed to escape and fled to Afghanistan. He was arrested again in 2003 in Kathmandu, Nepal, and was sentenced to life in prison in 2004. He remains in prison in Nepal for 20 years.
Sobhraj's crimes and cunning nature have made him infamous and he has been the subject of numerous books, articles, and television shows. His story has also been adapted for the screen, with several movies and documentaries being made about him. Despite his notoriety, Sobhraj has never shown remorse for his crimes and has consistently claimed that he is innocent.