Mystery at bay: Foreign trio grilled by police in German businessman’s vanishing act

Two foreign men were under questioning | Photo via KomChadLuek

Officers from Nong Prue Police Station questioned two foreign men and a woman in connection with the disappearance of German businessman Hans Peter Mack. The investigation was prompted by the discovery of a suspicious financial transaction.

The 62 year old real estate tycoon left his house in his bronze/grey Mercedes-Benz with a registration number ญศ 7146. He wore a black shirt, black shorts, and black shoes. The last sighting of Mack was on July 4 at 12.41pm as he was driving his vehicle near Chaiyapruk Soi 3 Road in the Bang Lamong district of Chon Buri province. The location of his mobile phone signal was last traced to Sa Kaeo province in Isaan.

The German businessman was reported missing after engaging in a discussion about a land transaction on Koh Samui, an island located in the southern province of Surat Thani. The value of the transaction was estimated to be 700 million baht.

The family filed a complaint with Nong Prue Police Station on July 5 and offered a reward of 100,000 baht to anyone who could locate his car, and 3 million baht to those who could provide information leading to the discovery of Mack

Mack’s car was eventually found yesterday, July 9, in a condominium parking lot within the same area where he was last seen. The vehicle contained only a document in a green envelope and a pair of sandals.

However, they discovered several strange strains of bathroom cleaning liquid or car coolant everywhere inside the car, leading the officers to believe that someone attempted to remove their fingerprints and evidence from the car.

The Thai vendor selling food in the area reported to the officers that she saw the car parked in the area three days before the discovery. The vendor recalls seeing two women climb out of the vehicle. However, she could only recall the appearance of one woman, describing her as having brown skin and a height of approximately 155 to 156 centimetres.

According to the vendor, the two women quickly disappeared from the scene. She did not notice where they were heading to. Another male vendor also provided similar information.

Officers yesterday summoned two foreigners for questioning. The two were accompanied by their lawyers and did not provide any useful information. Channel 7 added that another woman, whose nationality was not reported, was questioned before the foreigners, but she also refused to provide information.

On the same day, officers executed a search warrant on a suspicious person’s residence in Chon Buri. However, no incriminating evidence was discovered.

Further investigation revealed irregularities in the financial transactions, with 2 million baht appearing in the accounts of each of the suspects. However, it remains unclear whether these transactions are linked to the case or not.

German tycoon missing
Hans Petter Ralter Mack | Photo via KomChadLuek
German disappearance Chon Buri Thailand
An investigation at a suspicious house in Chon Buri | Photo via KomChadLuek

 

ORIGINAL STORY: Real estate tycoon disappears in Pattaya under mysterious circumstances

Police in Pattaya were called to examine a vehicle suspected to belong to missing real estate tycoon Hans Peter Mack, who has been reported missing. The German businessman’s family is offering a generous reward of 3 million baht for any information leading to his safe return, as well as a 100,000-baht reward for locating his car.

The car, a bronze/grey Mercedes-Benz, was discovered parked at CC Condo on Soi Khao Noi, located within the Nongprue sub-district of Banglamung district, Chon Buri province.

After securing the scene, the police coordinated with a forensic team to collect evidence from inside the vehicle. During the inspection, the team found traces of an unidentified liquid on the seats, steering wheel, centre console, gear, and windows, which raised suspicions. However, the nature of the stains could not be confirmed at this time. Mack was not present at the scene.

The person who first came across the car remains unidentified, and it is uncertain whether they will be eligible for the reward.

According to Mack’s 24 year old wife, Piraya Boonmak, the couple had been together for five years. Her husband, a real estate tycoon, had been visiting Thailand for 30 years.

On July 4, around noon, the real estate tycoon left home in his car to meet with an unknown foreign real estate agent with whom he had recently connected. They were reportedly discussing a land transaction on Koh Samui in Surat Thani province. However, Mack did not return home as expected.

CCTV footage captured the missing real estate tycoon inside a restaurant located on Soi Thung Klom – Tan Man at 11.54am on July 4. He was seen engaged in a business discussion with another unidentified individual before returning to his parked car at 12.37pm. The footage further showed him driving through the Chaiyapruek Intersection towards Sukhumvit Road, heading in the direction of Jomtien Beach.

The investigation into the disappearance of the German continues, leaving his family anxiously awaiting any updates or information that may shed light on his whereabouts.

Three days ago, Tha Li district residents in the Isaan province of Loei discovered the skeleton of a missing Thai man in a local forest. Police believe the culprit used acid to dissolve the flesh of the deceased to conceal the murder.

A Thai man, Jakrawut Supanya, took to social media for help to find his missing younger brother, 30 year old Saranyu Supanya. To read more click HERE

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Petch Petpailin

Petpailin, or Petch, is a Thai translator and writer for The Thaiger who focuses on translating breakingThai news stories into English. With a background in field journalism, Petch brings several years of experience to the English News desk at The Thaiger. Before joining The Thaiger, Petch worked as a content writer for several known blogging sites in Bangkok, including Happio and The Smart Local. Her articles have been syndicated by many big publishers in Thailand and internationally, including the Daily Mail, The Sun and the Bangkok Post. She is a news writer who stops reading news on the weekends to spend more time cafe hopping and petting dwarf shrimp! But during office hours, you can find Petch on LinkedIn and you can reach her by email at petch@thethaiger.com.

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