Former Thai police officer arrested in murders of 2 men 9 years ago

Special Service Division (SSD) officers yesterday arrested a former police officer at his home in the southern province of Narathiwat in connection with the murders of two Thai men nine years ago in 2015.

The SSD officers, also known as Commando Police, apprehended the 39 year old former Police Sergeant Komkrit at his home in the Cho-airong district of Narathiwat province yesterday. Komkrit was charged with three offences including:

• Section 288 of the Criminal Law: intentional murder. The penalty is the death penalty, life imprisonment or imprisonment from 15 to 20 years.
• Section 310 of the Criminal Law: detaining a person leading to death or severe injury. The penalty is imprisonment of from three to 15 years.

Other sections in the Firearms, Ammunition, Explosive, Fireworks, and Imitation Firearms Act

According to the police, Singha Nakhon Police Station officers initially investigated the deaths of two men, 17 year old Narenrit and 21 year old Phanu, on June 7, 2015, after their bodies were found in the Songkhla Lake. Narenrit sustained two gunshot wounds to his neck and body while Narenrit was beaten to death with a hard object.

Evidence indicated that a group of five men kidnapped the two victims on June 6, 2015, and they were key suspects in the case. Police conducted further investigations and successfully identified five suspects. Four were arrested, but Komkrit evaded capture.

Nine years later, commando police managed to locate Komkrit at his home and raided it yesterday. Komkrit resisted arrest and rushed into his house to retrieve his gun. He tried to resist the officers but failed. Officers searched the house and found five other firearms in his possession.

Komkrit denied killing the victims but admitted to being present at the crime scene. Police have not revealed whether the other four suspects were also police officers.

In a related case, a police officer from the Patiew Police Station was arrested in January for raping a 17 year old in the Isaan province of Yasothon.

Another officer from the Nong Pling Police Station was caught possessing methamphetamine and selling them to locals in the central province of Nakhon Sawan.

The other five Immigration Bureau officers faced 15 years in prison for kidnapping two Chinese men and a Thai interpreter in March last year.

There were several reports of police officers involved in criminal activities. Even the senior officer, Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn, is under investigation for involvement in gambling operations.