Suspected remains of missing Korean found in Chon Buri reservoir

A grisly discovery was made in Chon Buri, where police unearthed a human body encased in concrete within a 200-litre barrel. The barrel was located at the bottom of the Map Prachan reservoir in Bang Laung district. The find was made last night and is suspected to be the remains of a missing 34 year old Korean man.

Roh Eui Jong was reported missing on May 3, prompting a large-scale search. The case took a sinister turn when it was discovered that all the victim’s fingers were severed, an act the police believe was carried out to complicate identification.

In a desperate bid to locate her son, Roh’s mother, residing in South Korea, contacted the South Korean embassy in Bangkok. She relayed a chilling phone call she received from her son’s LINE number.

The anonymous caller demanded a ransom of 3 million baht (US$ 82,000), threatening to kill Roh if the funds were not transferred by May 8. The caller claimed the ransom money was intended to recoup the cost of illicit drugs that Roh had allegedly discarded into a river.

The South Korean embassy promptly complained to the Khlong Tan Police Station, leading the Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) to join forces with the Chon Buri police on the investigation.

Police were able to trace the origin of the LINE call to Bang Lamung. Roh had entered Thailand on April 30, although his point of departure remains undisclosed by the investigators.

Body found

His Thai wife reported that the couple had spent the evening at a nightlife venue in the RCA clubbing district on May 2. Roh was reportedly abducted by two Korean males upon leaving the venue around 2am.

Through extensive examination of CCTV footage, the investigators followed the suspects’ trail to a rented house in Bang Lamung, situated roughly 3 kilometres from the reservoir. The footage further revealed the suspects switching vehicles to a white pickup truck. Subsequently, they were seen purchasing a barrel from a plastic warehouse located a kilometre away from the crime scene.

The owner of the shop, Nittaya Chanprung, informed police that a foreigner in a white pickup truck bought a large plastic barrel, nylon ropes, and scissors on May 3. The customer appeared calm and did not raise any suspicion. The suspect’s image was captured on the shop’s security camera, which was handed over to the investigators, reported Bangkok Post.

The police have revealed that they know the identities of the two suspects. One of them managed to flee the country on May 9, while the other one remains at large within Thailand.