7 arrest warrants approved for police suspects in Nakhon Sawan torture killing case
A Thai court has approved 7 arrest warrants for police officers in Nakhon Sawan, the northern Thai province. The 7 officers are suspects in the alleged torture and subsequent killing of a suspect. A shocking video allegedly showed the police covering the suspect’s head with a plastic bag until he suffocated to death.
The 7 police suspects are:
- Thitisan Utthanaphon, superintendent of Muang police station in Nakhon Sawan
- Raveeroj Ditthong
- Songyot Khlainak
- Thoranin Makwanna
- Wisut Bunkhiew
- Supakorn Nimchuen
- Paweekorn Khammarieo
The officers are facing charges such as malfeasance causing damage to another person, colluding with five people or more in the coercion of another person, and collusion in killing another person by torture. The Nakhon Sawan Provincial Court issued the arrest warrants today. The highest ranking officer, Thitisan, has already been dismissed for his alleged involvement in the torture death. Thitisan is also known as “Jo Ferrari” for his extensive sports car collection.
The suspect’s death was publicised by a lawyer on Facebook that followed a police subordinate who filed an official complaint. In the complaint, the subordinate claimed a supervisor was trying to extort the suspect for 2 million baht. Following the man’s death, the subordinate says the supervisor told his subordinates to say the man died of a drug overdose. The suspect’s wife was allowed to leave the police station after she supposedly said she wouldn’t say anything about the incident.
An unidentified police source says 4 of the 7 police suspects have already been detained. Sompong Chingduang, the Immigration Bureau chief, said today that he ordered a full alert at the borders for Thitisan as well as any accomplices who might try to leave Thailand. Sompong also said that he has told immigration police to coordinate with security officials to check all natural border crossings in the Ranong province, which borders Myanmar.
The IBC says the immigration police will do everything in their power to thwart the fugitives fleeing the country. He concluded by saying the police suspects have tarnished the police force’s image and this is unacceptable. The suspect that died while in police custody, 24 year old Jeerapong Thanapat, died on August 6.
WARNING: The video of the incident contains violent content that might be disturbing to some viewers. It can be viewed HERE.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
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