Police hunting for suspect involved in abduction and killing of South Korean
Thai police are intensifying efforts to apprehend two South Korean suspects believed to have murdered their compatriot and disposed of the body in a barrel by submerging it in water.
The body was discovered in Pattaya, and it is suspected that one of the suspects has fled the country, police said.
Following a report received on May 7 that a Korean tourist had gone missing, suspected to have been abducted for ransom, the missing individual was identified as South Korean national Roh Eui Jong, 34.
He had entered Thailand on April 30.
On May 7, Roh's mother in South Korea received a phone call informing her that her son had drowned their drugs, and they demanded 3 million baht as ransom otherwise her son would be killed.
Roh's mother reported the incident to the South Korean embassy in Thailand to coordinate with Thai police for immediate action.
Roh's wife, who is a Thai national, said that she had last seen Roh on May 2 at a nightclub in the RCA area of Bangkok. Upon reviewing CCTV footage, it was found that on May 2, at around 2am, two men had taken Roh away in a rented car that headed towards Pattaya, where they switched to a pickup truck and then checked into an accommodation near the Mabprachan Reservoir in Pattaya.
On May 4, at around 9pm, the pickup truck was seen leaving the accommodation, covered with a black cloth. Subsequently, the Koreans purchased a black plastic barrel and ropes from a store, presumably to dispose of the body. Upon investigation, it was found that the pickup truck had parked near the Mabprachan Reservoir for around an hour before returning to the rented accommodation.
On May 11, the police mobilised a team of divers to the Mabprachan Reservoir to search for evidence. They found a black plastic barrel weighted down with cement and discovered a man's body inside. Preliminary identification is underway, but it is believed to be Roh, the missing Korean.
Of the two suspects, one had been identified but he had fled the country on May 9, while the other remains at large and is currently being pursued, police said.
A friend in Thailand of the deceased said that the deceased was never involved in drug abuse but he knew that the deceased had been deceived by a gang into participating in a haircut and massage business that could involve sexual activities in the Asoke area. However, it is not clear whether he had invested in the business, and his occupation also was not clear.
