So Sung killers still at large

KATHU: Police have thus far been unable to arrest either of the two police impersonators who shot dead Burmese laborer So Sung at a workers camp on March 30.

So Sung was shot in the face at close range with a shotgun after he told fellow workers not to give in to the two imposters’ demands. (For our original report, click here.)

Tung Tong District Police Superintendent Col Arayapan Pukbuakhao earlier told the Gazette that police were seeking two suspects in the case, one an an ex-convict known to associate with at least two criminal gangs.

Investigators were ordered to monitor both gangs in the hope of arresting the suspects, he said.

“From questioning So Sung’s friends, we know that one of the suspects had long hair and matched the physical description of the ex-convict. But we think he has since cut his hair and otherwise altered his appearance in order to avoid arrest,” Col Arayapan said several weeks after the murder.

However, the investigation now appears to have gone cold. Col Arayapan yesterday told the Gazette that fellow workers who witnessed the murder were unable to identify either of the suspects after being shown their images in a photo lineup.

Tung Tong Police have since had a composite sketch of the two killers drawn up based on descriptions provided by witnesses. The sketches have been distributed to other police stations, he said.

After some deliberation, Col Arayapan declined to release the sketches for publication in the Gazette.

“Doing so might make it more difficult for police to bring the killers to justice,” he said.