2 loan sharks nabbed for killing fruit seller over 400 baht late payment
Police arrested two loan sharks in the southern province of Prachuap Kiri Khan after they killed a fruit seller because he was two days late in paying 400 baht in interest.
The victim, Thai man Ittiphon Pinthong, was shot and stabbed while he was selling fruit in front of a convenience store on Sukhumvit Road in the Sattahip district of Chon Buri province at about 7pm on Tuesday, November 14.
The attack was reported to Plu Taluang Police Station and rescuers who later transferred the 45 year old Ittiphon to hospital. Ittiphon reportedly died of his injuries in hospital that night.
Ittiphon’s wife, Saengduen Katemala, visited the police station for questioning yesterday, November 15, and accused two loan sharks of the murder. Saengduen explained that her husband borrowed 10,000 baht from the loan shark couple and had to pay 200 baht interest every day.
Saengduen said her husband was unable to pay the interest for two days because he did not sell many fruits.
“We asked the loan sharks to wait. We promised them that we would find the money as fast as we could and promised not to escape the debt. But they did this to my husband. I hope the police arrest them as fast as possible.”
Quick getaway
Saengduen disclosed that she had talked to the witnesses about what had happened. The witnesses informed her that the loan shark couple came to the fruit shop on a motorcycle, and a woman got off the motorcycle to demand money from Ittiphon.
After talking for a while, the man handed a gun to the woman who immediately shot Ittiphon. The man then stabbed Ittiphon until he collapsed. They then fled the scene on their motorcycle which the witnesses reported to be a green Yamaha Fino with a registration number 711.
Police reviewed security cameras at the scene and along the road, the couple used to escape and managed to identify their identities as a 29 year old man named Sommai Honkalakate and a 29 year old woman named Ratchadaporn Sirat.
Officers managed to arrest the loan sharks as they fled from the Sattahip district in Chon Buri to Prachaub Kiri Khan province. The two faced three charges:
- Section 288 of the Criminal Law: intentionally murdering another person. The punishment will be the death penalty, life imprisonment or imprisonment from 15 to 20 years.
- Section 7 of the Act on Firearms, Ammunition, Explosive, Fireworks, and Imitation Firearm: possessing a gun without permission. The punishment will be imprisonment for up to 10 years, a fine of up to 20,000 baht, or both.
- Section 8 of the Act on Firearms, Ammunition, Explosive, Fireworks, and Imitation Firearm: carrying a gun in a public place without permission and necessary. The punishment will be imprisonment for up to five years, a fine of up to 10,000 baht, or both.
