Police hunt two Japanese suspects in Bangkok murder-dismemberment case
Police have launched a manhunt for two suspected Japanese gangsters believed to be involved in the murder of a fellow countryman.
A 10-year-old boy discovered the victim’s severed arms and mutilated body stuffed into black plastic bags dumped in the secluded Soi Sawang 2 in Bang Bua Thong, Nonthaburi last Friday.
A search of the area revealed several grisly finds thought to be linked to the murder. On Sunday, investigators found axes and saws dumped about 2 kilometres away from the dismembered body. Then on Tuesday, skull fragments and small joints were found in an alley close to the initial discovery.
All body parts have been sent for forensic analysis to confirm they belonged to the same person.
Police said a Thai suspect arrested on Tuesday had admitted to driving three Japanese men to a warehouse on the outskirts of Bangkok.
The suspect, named only as “Bom”, 34, told police that a heated argument broke out between the man in the front passenger seat and the two in the back seat.
When the vehicle arrived at the factory, a backseat passenger instructed him to park and asked him to step out of the car. After stepping out to smoke a cigarette, he heard a gunshot from inside the car and ran back to find the front-seat passenger dead with a gunshot wound to the head.
He said other two Japanese men took the body into the warehouse and returned with several heavy black plastic bags. They then instructed him to drive to different locations, where they disposed of the bags.
Police escorted Bom to the factory to search for further evidence. Investigators have charged him with conspiracy to conceal and destroy a corpse.
Police are now coordinating with international authorities to secure an Interpol warrant for the arrest of the two Japanese suspects.
Investigators suspect the murder resulted from a deal gone wrong between Japanese gangsters, also known as Yakuza.
