THE body of a Thai man has reportedly been found at Cambodian border town Poipet, opposite Aranyaprathet, after he was brutally assaulted by a scam gang he had been lured to work for, Thai Rath newspaper said today (Nov. 18).
Mr. Sarawut, or Toto, a resident of Samut Prakan, was said to have been found dead in a building with two Thai women having also recently died in Poipet.
Ms. Suthatip, 28, was found hanged at the window of her room on Nov. 3 but it is uncertain whether her death was suicide or murder while on Oct. 29 Ms. Kanokwan, 27, allegedly fell to her death from the third floor of a building there.
Eyewitnesses confirmed that Sarawut was brutally assaulted, being hit with a metal-like object and electrocuted, resulting in his death inside the building.
They further said that this scam gang’s mastermind was a Chinese businessman while those who beat him to death are his Thai subordinates involved in a human trafficking and forced labour rackets.
This highlights the problem of Thais being lured to defraud other Thais at criminal hubs in Poipet.
Later the victim’s older brother Mr. Natthaphon, or Pote, 32, who managed to escape back to Thailand on Sunday (Nov. 16) said it is tough for those tricked to work for scam gangs to survive.
His brother and his roommates were trying to flee and had managed to detach the metal bars on the window to do so. However before they could slip out, they were moved to another room and one of the new occupants put his head out of the window and was seen by the guards with this leading to his brother being caught.
The Chinese boss ordered that he be punished and his subordinates beat him badly until his backbone was exposed and also electrocuted him in the mouth. They then locked him naked in a room where the air-conditioning was set at 16 degrees Celsius. They continued beating him in the morning and evening for two days in a row.
On the third day, Natthaphon decided to escape to get help and at 7.30 a.m. together with 40 friends succeeded in doing so.
He added that he is not a hundred percent sure whether his brother is dead but when he fled he only had 50 percent chance of surviving.
Their mother sent him an audio clip at 11 a.m. today, purportedly from Sarawut, who said, “Mom, I’m busy at the office right now. I’ll call you tomorrow. I’ll call when I’m free. Don’t worry, I’m fine here. I’ve been busy lately.”
However Natthaphon is unsure whether it is his brother speaking on AI voice impersonation and is awaiting confirmation from people still at the scam hub as to whether he has really passed away and urged the government to help bring his body back for a funeral if that is the case.
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The deceased victim Saravut, above, and his brother, Natthaphon, inserted. Photos – Thai Rath
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