SONGKHLA: Three Myanmar illegal migrants charged with the murder of a 40-year-old man whose body was found in a shallow grave have told police he extorted money from their group and tried to force one of the women to leave with him.
Pol Lt Gen Surachate Hakparn said investigators from Provincial Police Region 9, Thung Lung and Songkhla police had evidence implicating eight illegal migrants in the June 1 murder of Maddol Binson, who worked for a tree-trimming firm contracted by the Provincial Electricity Authority in Na Mom district.
Investigators had approval from the Songkhla Provincial Court for the arrest of five Myanmar men. They were verifying the identities of the three others.
The assistant national police chief told reporters that three of the five men had already been caught and charged with colluding in murder and concealing a body.
The three suspects were identified as Ko Mong, 25; San Ae, 32 and Chid Koko, 34. The two others named in the warrants were Mian Win, 32 and Ao Kuwin, 27. Police did not provide the official spelling of the names.
Investigators have seized four pickup trucks and two motorcycles involved in the case. The vehicles were used for transporting illegal Myanmar migrants, Pol Lt Gen Surachate said.
Maddol, 40, was found in a fresh, shallow grave, gagged and his hands and feet tied with creepers, on June 1. He had been bludgeoned on the head. His motorcycle was found in a pond about 300 metres from the grave. There were signs of fighting nearby.
Investigators later arrested 109 illegal Myanmar migrants hiding in a rented house in tambon Ban Phru of Songkhla and questioned them about the murder. That led to them focusing on eight Myanmar men allegedly involved in the killing, Pol Lt Gen Surachate said.
During questioning, the three arrested suspects said they and other illegal migrants had arrived in the area on May 31, the day before the murder, and were waiting in the forest to continue on to Malaysia.
Maddol arrived at their hideout on June 1. He was armed with a gun and a knife and demanded money from them. They collected some money and gave it to him.
He then tried to force one of the women to leave with him. She resisted. They and others intervened to help the woman. They grabbed hold of the man and hit him with a length of wood, and then tied him up with vines.
They used the victim’s mobile phone to tell their job agent what had happened. The agent sent pickup trucks to take them to the rented house in tambon Ban Phru. Late that night they returned to the crime scene. dug a grave and buried the body. They then dumped the man's motorcycle into a pond before returning to the rented house.
Pol Lt Gen Surachate said the investigation had yet be concluded. The two other men also wanted on arrest warrants remained at large and there were three other suspects to be tracked down and caught.