Cross-border manhunt: Thai police search for 2 Japanese killers
Thai police officers are collaborating with the Japanese authorities to hunt for two killers involved in the murder and dismemberment of a Japanese man in Nonthaburi province. Officers also discovered that the two Japanese nationals were operating a call centre scam in Thailand.
The body parts of the 47 year old Japanese man, Kabashima Ryosuke, were abandoned in a roadside forest and some land along Ban Kluay-Sai Noi Road in Bang Bua Thong district of Nonthaburi province.
Ryosuke’s wrist was found on April 19, leading to a further investigation until police managed to arrest a Thai suspect named Game on Monday, April 22.
Following Game’s questioning and further investigation, police were able to identify two Japanese men involved in the murder: 50 year old Kato Takuya and 28 year old Suzuki Hiroto.
Game claimed that his employees, Takuya and Hiroto, were the murderers. He admitted to assisting the Japanese suspects in abandoning Ryosuke’s body parts but insisted that he was not involved in the murder.
According to Game, Takuya and Hiroto hired him as a part-time chauffeur, paying him 1,000 baht per day. Game recounted that he drove all three Japanese nationals to an entertainment venue in the Thon Buri district of Bangkok on March 27.
killers at large
Game said that the trio engaged in a heated argument before departing the entertainment venue. Subsequently, Takuya and Hiroto instructed him to chauffeur them to a company warehouse located in Nonthaburi province. After parking the white Nissan Almera sedan inside the warehouse, Game exited the vehicle.
While outside the warehouse, Game claimed to have heard a gunshot. Investigating the source, he discovered Ryosuke deceased inside the car.
Game further detailed that Takuya and Hiroto instructed him to drive a red Nissan Note SUV to procure equipment for dismemberment the following day, March 28, at 10am. Subsequently, the two Japanese individuals completed the dismemberment by 4pm and directed Game to drive the Nissan Almera sedan to Ban Kluay-Sai Noi Road.
During the journey, Game said that he merely drove the vehicle while Takuya and Hiroto directed him to stop at various locations to dispose of black rubbish bags containing Ryosuke’s body parts. Finally, the Japanese employers instructed him to abandon the car in the designated area.
Game admitted that he continued to work with Takuya and Hiroto after the murder and claimed that the two threatened him. However, Game refused to reveal the details of the threats to the media, saying he would only speak to the police.
Call centre scam
Bang Bua Thong Police Station officers reported that they checked with the Immigration Bureau and did not find any records of the Japanese men leaving Thailand. The two had overstayed their visas, with Takuya’s visa expiring on March 1 and Hiroto’s visa expiring on March 5.
The Japanese men told Game that they operated a car part importing business and rented a warehouse to store car parts. The warehouse was rented for nearly two months but no products were stored.
However, police investigations revealed that they were running a call centre scam gang. No further details were disclosed to the public.
Bang Bua Thong Police Station Superintendent Pruet Jamroonsarn disclosed that Japanese police are now collaborating with Thai authorities in hunting for the two Japanese killers.
UPDATE 1: Thai man arrested for part in Japanese man’s murder in Nonthaburi
Police yesterday arrested a Thai man for his involvement in the murder and dismemberment of human body parts found in Nonthaburi province near Bangkok. He claimed that the deceased was a Japanese man and two other Japanese nationals were the killers.
The first body part, a wrist, was discovered by a 10 year old Thai boy on April 19 in some abandoned land on Ban Kluay-Sai Noi Road in Bang Bua Thong district of Nonthaburi province. More human parts were found in black rubbish bags near the scene.
Bang Bua Thong Police Station officers meticulously searched the area and eventually found the skull in a roadside forest opposite where the wrist was discovered.
The skull bore a gunshot wound, and two teeth were missing. There were some hairs left on the skull, and the neck bone showed cut marks, leading the police to suspect that the victim was dismembered with a chainsaw.
Despite the victim’s identity remaining unknown, the police apprehended a Thai suspect, aged between 30 and 40 years old, yesterday. Three cars related to the case were seized for further investigation, including a white Nissan Almera sedan that had been abandoned near the scene for over a month.
The Thai man admitted to assisting the perpetrators. He recounted driving the two Japanese men and the victim to a warehouse in Nonthaburi province, where the Japanese men ordered him to leave the car.
While he stepped away to smoke a cigarette, he heard gunshots. According to his statement, the two Japanese men killed the victim and dismembered him. The Japanese killers put the body parts into the black rubbish bags and instructed him to dispose of the remains at the abandoned land.
The police are currently searching for the mentioned Japanese suspects and believe that they are still in Thailand. All the human remains were under an autopsy to confirm the deceased’s identities.
ORIGINAL STORY: Unidentified man found murdered and dismembered in Nonthaburi
Police are struggling to identify a dead man who was murdered and dismembered after human parts were discovered at an abandoned plot of land in the central province of Nonthaburi near Bangkok.
A 10 year old Thai boy notified Bang Bua Thong Police Station officers of the discovery of a human wrist on some abandoned land in Soi Jadsan Swing 2 on Ban Kluay-Sai Noi Road in Bang Bua Thong district of Nonthaburi on April 19.
The wrist bore a tattoo but the Thai authorities are unable to identify its design. A tattoo artist revealed in an interview with Channel 7 that the deceased may not be a Thai national, as yellow presented in the tattoo is not a common colour among Thais.
The artist added that the tattoo was identified as the Japanese old-school style, popular in the 90s. The artist estimated the deceased to be a man between 35 and 45 years old.
Police conducted a thorough investigation of the vicinity and nearby areas, uncovering additional human remains concealed within black rubbish bags. These bags had been discarded in a nearby pond. It was determined that the deceased had been murdered and chopped up before being left in the area.
Subsequently, officers came across a white sedan abandoned near the scene. Residents reported that the vehicle had been left there for over a month. The car was found without a registration plate, and its bonnet was left open.
More evidence
Police tracked down the car’s owner and found that it belonged to a Thai woman. The woman said she gave the car to her ex-boyfriend and had not been in contact with him since their breakup.
Her ex-boyfriend told police that he pawned the car some time ago and had not reclaimed it. Both denied any involvement in the murder or knowledge of who left the car at the scene.
A local angler in the area later found a black trash bag containing an axe, a knife, shoes, and other items in a nearby canal. Officers are investigating these items to determine if they are connected to the murder.
The Deputy Commander of the Provincial Police Region 1, Apichart Wannaphak, revealed in an interview with ThaiRath that the deceased was believed to have been murdered two to four weeks before his discovery.
According to Apichart, police are unable to identify the deceased due to multiple missing body parts. They believed that the deceased was male but unable to guess his nationality. Apichart stated that if the deceased’s skull is found, authorities may be able to determine nationality.
Apichart explained that officers are actively searching for the remaining body parts, despite the challenge posed by the case’s occurrence nearly a month ago. Additionally, they have been reviewing security camera footage in the area to identify any suspicious individuals. However, this task has proven difficult due to the high volume of vehicles and pedestrians entering the area.
The investigation into the case is ongoing.
