“Satanic fishermen’ blamed for gruesome murder

PHANG NGA: Villagers in Baan Kalai, Takuatung district, have blamed Satan-worshipping fishermen” for the murder of a man whose disemboweled body was found floating in a canal on Saturday night. Baan Kalai villagers were alerted to the murder by a foul smell coming from a sack stuck in the canal, which links to the Andaman Sea. They retrieved the sack and were shocked to discover the mutilated body inside. The as-yet-unidentified victim, believed to have been about 25 years old, and wearing green shorts, was sliced open from his stomach to his neck. Many of his internal organs, including his heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, and intestines were missing. Takuatung District Police said they believed that the man must have had “serious problems with some parties who had become very angry with him”. Pol Capt Amnuay Chummuan, case investigator at the Takuatung District Police Station, said, “So far, nobody has come to identify the body, nor do reports of missing persons match his description.” Meanwhile, locals told police that they believe “Satanic fishermen” may have committed the murder for ritual purposes. Some people from the village have gone missing, they added. “They said that the man was killed as a sacrifice to Satan and then the body was sent down the canal to the Andaman as a means of protecting the fisherman while they’re out at sea,” Capt Amnuay told the Gazette.