Police declare they are in middle of a drugs war after murder of 4 men in South Thailand
Police yesterday declared that they are in the middle of a drugs war following the brutal murder of four men in the southern province of Narathiwat.
The bodies of three victims were discovered in the trunk of a car, which had been partially submerged in a canal in the Waeng district on February 20. The fourth body was located in the Su-ngai Kolok River, in the same province. Five suspects are presently in custody, facing charges of involvement in the quadruple murder.
At a press conference held at the provincial police office, two handguns, seven rounds of ammunition, and two cars used by the gang during the commission of their offences were presented to the media.
Pol Maj-Gen Anurut Im-arb, Commander of the Narathiwat Provincial Police, believes that the killings were motivated by a conflict in the illicit narcotics trade and that there is an ongoing drugs war. He further stated that three of the five arrested individuals were responsible for the shootings, while the remaining two were involved in the disposal of the bodies and other evidence.
Among the suspects apprehended is “Methawat,” also known as “Arun,” allegedly the younger brother of famous Narathiwat singer Methi Arun from the band Labanoon. The other four accused were identified as Mahama or Wang, Asree or Yee, Isan or Padang, and Nuttawut or Ming.
The victims of the quadruple homicide were later identified as Niheng, a 27 year old male, Muhammad-aliya, a 38 year old male, Aussawe, a 19 year old male, and Mooseng, a 32 year old male. All four were found dead as a result of gunshot wounds inflicted by unidentified assailants.
Pol Maj-Gen Anurut announced that the five accused had confessed and testified after forensic science was used to prove their guilt, Sanook reported. He said…
“There is a clear examination of the behaviour of each villain. Blood stains, gun casings, and fingerprints were found in the house at the scene of the incident.
“The four people were murdered because they had a personal conflict with the son of Mahama or Wang, who was one of the three gunmen and the owner of the house without a number, which is located in the palm garden.
“After Mahama became aware of the story he called the four men, who travelled from Su-ngai Kolok District to meet him at the scene of the murder. After talking they were unable to come to an agreement so Mahama and his group shot the men and dumped the bodies at the two locations where the bodies were eventually found.
“Five criminals who were involved in the crime have been arrested and charged but there are still two suspects we need to question about the murders who are at large.
“At this time we are collecting further evidence and hope to accelerate the arrest of the missing two suspects.”
Pol Maj-Gen Anurut added that the investigation is ongoing, and authorities are working to bring those responsible to justice. He assured the public that they will do everything in their power to put an end to this drug-related conflict, which has caused such devastation in Narathiwat and its surrounding areas.
UPDATE: Four suspects arrested over murder of 4 men in southern Thailand
Police arrested four suspects in connection with the murder of four men whose bodies were found in Juerae Lake and the Kolok River in the southern province of Narathiwat two days ago.
Residents found three dead bodies with gunshot wounds in a sedan truck submerged in Juerae Lake. Then another lifeless body who was also shot dead was found in the Kolok River, nearby the lake, later that day. The police officer believed that they were all murdered due to a drug trafficking-related conflict.
The four deceased individuals have been identified as 27 year old Niheng, 38 year old Muhammad-aliya, 19 year old Aussawe, and 32 year old Mooseng.
KhaoSod reported today that Narathiwat Provincial Police officers arrested four suspects related to the murder case. Two suspects were arrested on Wednesday night, and the other two were apprehended at noon yesterday. Police have also seized weapons, including 9mm and 32mm guns, believed to have been used in the murders.
The Commissioner of the Narathiwat Provincial Police, Anuroot Aimarb, said the four suspects are under interrogation. One of the suspects is allegedly a known hitman with a long criminal history related to drug trafficking.
Anuroot explained that locals and witnesses have been reluctant to provide information to the police because they are worried about thewn safety. One witness reported hearing more than 10 gunshots on the night of February 20 in the area.
Anuroot stated that he could not reveal the in-depth investigation information to the public. He said the officers focused on the conflict within the drug trafficking gang and investigated based on forensic evidence.
ORIGINAL STORY: 4 bodies with gunshot wounds found in southern Thailand
Residents in the southern province of Narathiwat found the lifeless bodies of three people with gunshot wounds in a sedan truck submerged in Juerae Lake yesterday. This morning, another dead body was found near the scene. The authorities have reason to believe that the murders are interconnected.
Buketa Police Station received distressing reports from residents who had discovered a sunken car in Juerae Lake, Wang district of Narathiwat, at 4.20pm yesterday. Officers arrived at the scene to find a blue Toyota Yaris sedan with three dead individuals confined to the boot of the vehicle. In the absence of any missing person’s report matching the victims, the authorities decided to conduct an autopsy of the bodies, which were subsequently transferred to the Song Khla Nakarin facility.
The three deceased individuals were later identified as a 27 year old man named Niheng, a 38 year old man named Muhammad-aliya, and a 19 year old man named Aussawe. All three had been shot dead by unidentified guns.
Niheng had four gunshot wounds to his chest, Muhammad-aliya had four gunshot chest wounds, and Aussawe had three gunshot wounds to his chest and neck.
This morning, officers were notified of another dead body in the Kolok River, which is about 20 kilometres from the Juerae Lake. The dead body had a shot wound to his forehead.
The relatives of the dead man contacted police after learning locals had discovered a body. They confirmed the body was that of 32 year old Mooseng who disappeared from a family house four days ago.
A recent report on Channel 3 disclosed that, based on a criminal report filed by the police, three individuals, excluding Aussawe, were linked to drug trafficking.
Law enforcement authorities suspect that the murder was driven by drug-related issues and personal conflicts.
In a case involving more than ten potential suspects, the Commander of the Narathiwat Provincial Police Office, Dirake Chomyong, confirmed that the investigative team is concentrating on unravelling internal conflicts within the drug trafficking syndicate. This involves scrutinizing security camera footage and personal details of the suspects in the vicinity of the crime scene.
The authorities are also interrogating relatives and acquaintances of the victims to acquire additional information that could assist them in uncovering the truth behind the crime.
