Thai police intensify crackdown on international crime after German businessman’s murder
Police in the Thai province of Chon Buri are intensifying their efforts against international criminal organisations, an enforcement surge prompted by the grisly murder of a German businessman in Pattaya. Deputy national police chief, Police General Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn, spoke of these measures after an urgent meeting was convened with local police forces late on Tuesday.
Following the gruesome discovery of Hans Peter Walter Mack’s dismembered remains from a freezer in the residential area of Nong Prue in Bang Lamung district, senior police figures from the Chon Buri Provincial Police, Pattaya Immigration Police and Pattaya Tourist Police gathered to discuss the alarming case. The 62 year old businessman hadn’t been seen or heard from since the fourth of July.
Post-meeting, Big Joke reported that multiple arrests had been made. German nationals Petra Christl Grundgreif, who is 54, and 52 year old Olaf Thorsten Brinkmann were apprehended by Nong Prue police on Tuesday and are now facing charges of colluding in both thievery and murder. A subsequent arrest in Kanchanaburi province nabbed another suspect, a 27 year old man of Pakistani descent but with Thai nationality, Zahrouk Kareem Uddin.
Moreover, 52 year old Nicole Frevel has been accused of transporting Mack’s corpse in an effort to hide the victim’s death. The freezer in which Mack’s remains were discovered was at a house rented under Frevel’s name.
Pattaya Provincial Court received Nong Prue police chief, Pol. Col. Thawee Kudthalaeng’s request for pre-trial detention of all suspects involved in this torrid case. Brinkmann has remained silent, reportedly refusing to engage with investigators unless his lawyer is present.
Further investigations intend to shed light on whether any Thai nationals are assisting the transnational “Outlaw” gang, led by Brinkmann. This foreign-led mob has an infamous reputation and has made a stronghold in the residential area of Nong Prue, according to Big Joke. He said…
“These transnational criminal gangs are run by foreigners who reside in Tambon Nong Prue in Bang Lamung district. Any expats who would like to do business in Pattaya areas must be in contact with these mafias. Police have been ordered to enforce a crackdown on them.”
There are plans for a comprehensive law enforcement crackdown targeting these criminal elements. Big Joke added that suspects implicated in such crimes would feel the full force of the Thai legal system, including visa revocation and eventual deportation.
The police theory posits that the motivation for Mack’s brutal murder could be a conflict between the victim and the Outlaws gang, known for their extortionist activities towards foreign investors in Thailand, reported Bangkok Post.
