Trash terror: Spanish man arrested for mutilating foreigner, dumps body parts at Koh Pha Ngan tip
Following the gruesome discovery of human body parts at a Koh Pha Ngan rubbish tip yesterday, police apprehended a Spanish man suspected of murdering and mutilating the victim.
A garbage truck driver yesterday stumbled upon the hip of a man, believed to be a foreigner, along with intestines in a trash bag at a rubbish tip on the island.
Today, a woman working in the area discovered more body parts in the same area. These included a leg without a foot, a thigh, and a calf, all contained in black bin bags. The body parts had not yet been confirmed to belong to the same person. A DNA investigation would be carried out to confirm the identity.
Police officers later discovered a trash bag packed with clothes at the rubbish dump site. These clothes are believed to have belonged to the dead foreigner.
After questioning locals and reviewing security cameras, officers suspected a Spanish man named Daniel, aged between 30 to 35 years old. His involvement was suspected after he filed a complaint with the police last night, reporting that his Colombian friend had gone missing shortly after arriving at Koh Pha Ngan.
Another piece of evidence supporting the police’s suspicions was footage obtained from a shopping mall on the island. Daniel was seen visiting the mall, buying a knife and rubbish bags.
Additional details about Daniel emerged, pointing to his profession as a chef at a restaurant in Spain. On his Instagram account, he regularly shared images of knives and showcased his expertise in meat cutting. These posts provided clear evidence of his proficiency with a knife.
At this stage, the identity of the deceased victim remains unconfirmed, but there are strong indications that he was a Colombian national who entered the island on August 2.
ORIGINAL STORY: Body parts of a foreign man found in trash bag on Koh Pha Ngan
A garbage truck driver today stumbled upon some human body parts in a trash bag at a waste yard on Koh Pha Ngan, an island in the southern province of Surat Thani. It is believed the body parts belong to a foreign man because the shape and size of the body are different from Thai people.
Koh Pha Ngan Police Station officers rushed to the dumpsite at noon to investigate. The human parts were hidden in four layers of plastic trash bags and one sack.
According to the police, the parts in the trash bag included the hip of a man together with his intestines. The hip was about 50 centimetres wide and weighed about 5 kilogrammes.
From the size of the hip and the hair on the man’s head and body, the police believe that the body parts probably belong to a foreign man. Based on the state of the remains, the police estimated that the unfortunate victim met a violent end at least 48 hours before the discovery.
The parts were transferred to the Pha Ngan Hospital for an autopsy. Officers are now searching for the leftover parts of the body in the waste yard.
Matichon reported that as the waste yard had strict access restrictions, only the workers are allowed to enter. Consequently, a garbage truck driver or some workers must have picked up the human parts from a residential area. The garbage truck driver is now being questioned about where he picked up the trash bag.
Aside from searching for the leftover parts and questioning relevant people, police officers are now reviewing security cameras on the island, especially at hotels and accommodations rented by foreigners to trace the origins of the bag.
To prevent any potential suspects from fleeing the island, entry and departure points of the island are temporarily closed.
This recent incident echoes a disturbing pattern that came to light in Thailand last year. Seven trash bags containing human remains were discovered buried beneath an expressway in Samut Prakarn province near Bangkok. Further investigation revealed that the victim was a 30 year old Thai woman called Pin. She was murdered and chopped up by her jealous boyfriend.
Just a few weeks ago, a missing German businessman, Hans Peter Mack, was tragically found dead and dismembered and concealed in a freezer. His remains were found at a house in Pattaya, and the murderers were tracked down and arrested a few days later.
