METROPOLITAN and Provincial Police Region 2 are coordinating in investigating the murder of a Korean tourist in Pattaya with his body with all 10 fingers cut off being found in a 200-litre barrel filled with cement and dumped in reservoir with one of three suspects, all Koreans, arrested and questioned in South Korea but denies all charges, TV Channel 7, Channel 3 Plus and Korea Times said today (May 13).
The body of the victim was confirmed to be Mr. Roh Eui Jong, 34, after his sister and a cousin flew here from South Korea to identify him.
Police suspect the murder either stemmed from drug trafficking or investment but the deceased man’s wife told Thai police that he had traded stocks and was not involved in drugs.
Acting National Police Chief Pol. Gen. Kittirat Phanphet said Deputy National Police Chief Pol. Gen. Thana Chuwong is supervising this case and confirmed Metropolitan and Provincial Police Region 2 had closely exchanged information.
Moreover Thailand does have an extradition treaty with South Korea.
Pol. Maj. Gen. Nophasin Pulsawat, deputy chief of Metropolitan Police, said on May 7 Roh’s mother had informed the South Korean embassy that a criminal had called her on her son’s mobile phone and said he had thrown drugs into water causing damage and demanded 3 million baht compensation. The embassy then contacted the police.
South Korean authorities have issued arrest warrants for three Korean men suspected to have killed Roh with one of, Mr. Lee Roun arrested after returning to Seoul.
The suspect was said to have denied all charges brought against him during an overnight police interrogation.
The suspect was nabbed at his residence in the southwestern city of Jeongeup on Sunday evening and put under emergency arrest, according to the Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency.
South Korean police are looking into the whereabouts of the two remaining accomplices in cooperation with Thai police.
One of them, only identified as Mr. Lee, has now fled to Cambodia while the other, named as Mr Kim, has crossed over to Myanmar.
Kim has travelled to Thailand eight times since 2020 and is familiar with the country while Lee and Roun only came here for the first time this year.
“Details of the case cannot be disclosed as it is currently under investigation,” a South Korean police officer said.
CAPTION:
Top and Front Page: The barrel in which the South Korean man’s body was found was brought up from the reservoir by a team of divers. Photos: Amarin TV
Earlier report:
3 Korean men wanted for murder of countryman
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