National police chief arrives on Phuket as officers investigate Jimi Sandhu murder

National police chief Suwat Jangyodsuk has arrived on the southern island of Phuket as investigating officers step up the hunt for those behind the murder of an Indian national on Friday night. The man, named by various sources as Jimi Singh Sandhu, was shot dead outside his Rawai villa in the south of the island. According to a Bangkok Post report, the police believe the gunmen are still on the island and are checking security camera footage in a bid to find them.

The dead man entered Thailand on January 27 via private jet, carrying a passport in the name of Mandeep Singh. However, reports from Canada indicate he is gangster Jimi Sandhu, who emigrated to Canada from India as a child and has since been deported due to criminal activity.

Officers investigating his murder believe it’s the result of a feud between rival gangs, adding that they are looking for 2 suspects, believed to be foreign nationals. The victim is believed to belong to an Indian criminal gang operating in Canada and involved in drugs and human trafficking. It’s understood he was also wanted by the Indian authorities on charges of drug trafficking.

According to the police, Singh would spend around 15 days a month at the villa and paid 100,000 baht rent. He was often seen driving to and from the property several times a day and was said to have been frequently visited by 2 foreign women. A search of the property uncovered designer brand handbags thought to be worth hundreds of millions of baht, three Apple phones, and a rented MG car.

The police say they’ve also found several footprints in an empty property close to the rented villa. In addition, the suspects were captured on security cameras after the attack. Deputy police spokesman Kritsana Pattanacharoen told the Bangkok Post that the Thai authorities are working closely with their Canadian counterparts on the investigation.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post