Norwegian murder suspect arrested in Phuket

PHUKET: Thai Immigration Police yesterday arrested a Norwegian man accused of brutally murdering his 3-month-old son in Norway, and then fleeing to Thailand. Morten Storborg, 32, was arrested in Rawai at the Phuket Island Resort, five days after arriving in Thailand. Pol Col Apirak Hongtong, superintendent of the Phuket Immigration Police, told the Gazette that Storborg was arrested and then escorted to the Immigration Police Office in Phuket Town for questioning. “After being taken into custody, the suspect told us that he had smashed his baby on the floor after getting angry during a quarrel with his wife,” said Col Apirak. Storborg’s son Robin was found stuffed in a plastic bag left at Rogaland Hospital in Stavanger, Norway, on September 5. The boy died a few hours later. Norwegian police determined that the boy’s father had put his severely injured child into the bag and left him there before fleeing to Thailand. Immigration Police in the capital became aware of the fugitive’s presence in Thailand when they were contacted by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Bangkok. The Commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, Pol Lt Gen Chidchai Vanasatid, then ordered Pol Maj Gen Khanchai Anantasomboon, Commander of Immigration’s Division III, to follow up on the case. After checking with Immigration officials at several international airports, police learned that Storborg was in Phuket. Maj Gen Khanchai and officers from the Investigation and Interrogation Group, a sub-unit which reports directly to the Commissioner, came to Phuket on Monday to look for Storborg. “We knew that he was at the resort two days before we actually arrested him, but we had to make 100% sure that he was the right person, and that we didn’t scare other guests at the resort,” Col Apirak added. Immigration police escorted Storborg back to Bangkok last night. Officials there plan to deport him back to his country today.