Buriram man wanted for fatal Songkran shooting over drugs
Police in Buriram have issued an arrest warrant for a man accused of fatally shooting his friend in a dispute over drugs during a Songkran celebration. The suspect, a 27 year old named Rakkiat, remains in denial despite witness testimony and evidence linking him to the crime.
The incident occurred on April 12, near the victim’s hut in Non Sawan village, Mueang subdistrict, Prakhon Chai district. Pongsak, a 32 year old rubber tapper, was found dead with gunshot wounds to the right side of his head and bruising on his neck.
His body was discovered next to a pond near his hut. Blood traces were found leading from the hut to the pond, suggesting he was either shot or beaten there before crawling to his final resting place. Police recovered five 9mm bullet casings at the scene.
Following the discovery, Police Colonel Narongsak Promtha, provincial police commander, directed an urgent investigation. On April 14, investigators from Ban Bua Police Station in Prakhon Chai sought a warrant from Nang Rong provincial court to apprehend Rakkiat, who was part of the drinking party on the night of the incident. He faces charges of intentional murder, unlawful possession of a firearm, carrying a weapon without a permit, and drug use.
Rakkiat, who claims to have left the gathering early, denies shooting Pongsak. However, another friend, Mos, provided details to the police, stating that Pongsak distributed one meth pill each to four people present, but Rakkiat demanded two more, leading to a heated argument.
According to Mos, Rakkiat later returned around 11pm on a motorcycle and shot Pong Sak. Fearing for their lives, Mos and another friend fled into the forest.
When police searched Rakkiat’s home, they found a motorcycle, clothes worn on the night of the incident, a headlamp, and 9mm bullet casings matching those from the crime scene.
Although the murder weapon has not been found, the consistency between witness accounts and physical evidence led to the court-approved arrest warrant, reported KhaoSod.
Despite being confronted with this evidence, Rakkiat maintains his innocence, claiming he collected the bullet casings for use with a homemade gunpowder device. He remains in custody and is scheduled to be remanded at Nang Rong provincial court later today.
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