CIB arrest 15-year fugitive wanted for double murder
Justice has been finally served on an old open criminal case. After 15 years of being on the run, the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of the Royal Thai Police Crime Suppression Division announced a man wanted in connection with the murder of a wealthy couple in Phuket has been arrested.
The CIB in Bangkok confirmed an arrest in a cold case. The authorities announced that they have arrested a 55 year old suspect. They named him only as Mr Wiriyo. The CIB announced that the fugitive was taken into custody in Tambon Na Phru in the Phra Phrom District of Nakhon Si Thammarat province.
Though the investigators did not give a lot of details about the original crime, the man was wanted in connection with a double murder of a wealthy couple. The husband and wife operated a billion-baht business in Phuket.
The execution was reportedly carried out by a group of hired assassins. The wife died at the scene of the shooting.
Shortly after the crime, police rounded up and arrested six suspects in connection with the murders. But Wiriyo managed to escape the manhunt and had been living as a fugitive for the past 15 years until the CIB managed to track him down and arrest him late yesterday.
According to the CIB report, Wiriyo confessed to his involvement in the crime during interrogation after his arrest. He said that his role in the double murder was as a motorbike driver. He explained that he had been hired to drive a motorcycle and instigate the shooting.
He claimed to have been paid a mere 10,000 Baht for his role in the assassination, after which he has lived his life on the lam for a decade and a half.
The CIB has released no further details, both regarding the original double murders 15 years ago, and the arrest of the long-time fugitive yesterday.
