A couple of alleged embezzlers wanted for shooting dead a work colleague in Loei province to silence him have been arrested in Chachoengsao province, after 14 years on the run.
Crime Suppression Division police apprehended Bupaiwan Hiamharn, 41, and his wife Panadda Namwong, 39, at a house in tambon Don Chimphli of Bang Nam Prieo district on Wednesday.
The couple was wanted on arrest warrants issued by the Loei Provincial Court on Dec 6, 2006 and March 16, 2007 for premeditated murder, Pol Col Thongchai Yukate, superintendent of the CSD sub-division 1 said on Thursday.
On Dec 2, 2006, Mr Bupaiwan and Ms Panadda, then employees of an oil company in Loei province, had allegedly conspired to murder their colleague Boonmak Phimsap, 54.
The couple had driven a pickup to Boonmak’s house and said he should accompany them on a trip to buy oil from a customer.
On an isolated road, at Ban Panang in Loei’s Erawan district, Mr Bupaiwan stopped the vehicle and then shot Boonmak dead with a .38 pistol.
The couple then buried the body beside the road and fled from the province, Pol Col Thongchai said.
CSD investigators eventually tracked the couple to Chachoengsao province, where they were subsequently caught.
Pol Maj Surasak Yeedbueng, investigation chief at the sub-division 2 led the operation to arrest them. He said the couple admitted to the murder.
During interrogation, they told police they had colluded with Boonmak to embezzle money from their employer, an oil firm, forging documents to get oil to sell to outsiders themselves.
They and Boonmak argued over the division of money from the sales. The couple feared he would expose them to their employer, so they hatched a plan to kill him, Pol Maj Surasak said.
The suspects were handed over to Erawan police station for legal action.
Pol Col Thongchai said the couple were also on a police blacklist of gunmen.
They were the 64th and 65th names on this year’s list of 240 wanted gunmen. To date, CSD officers had arrested 16 of them.