NARATHIWAT: The bodies of three men with multiple gunshot wounds were found in the boot of a car dumped in a lake and another dead man shot in the head was later found in a river, in Waeng district.
Police believe they were gangland murders.
A blue Toyota Yaris car was discovered in Jue Rae lake, Moo 1 village of tambon Mae Taeng, about 6pm on Tuesday. It had no plates. There were three dead men in the boot. They were shirtless and there were no identification documents with the swollen bodies.
Police later identified the dead men.
Muhammad Areeya Rohmad, 38, of Narathiwat's Sukhirin district, was shot six times - in both sides of his chest, his right elbow, his back, left eye and forehead.
Niheng Prapeh, 27, of Sungai Kolok district, was shot four times - twice in the left chest, once in the right chest and once in the middle of his chest.
Asawee Muelee, 19, of Sukhirin, was shot in his right ear and right chest.
The gruesome find was followed on late Tuesday night by the discovery of a slain man in the Kolok River in Waeng district, about 20 kilometres from the first three bodies.
He was identified as Musen Yako, 33, of Sukhirin district. He was shot in the forehead, with the exit wound in the back of his neck.
Pol Col Direk Chomyong, deputy commander of Narathiwat police, said it was likely the victims were murdered elsewhere, and their bodies later disposed of.
Investigators thought the four murders were connected and linked to illicit business dealings, possibly drugs.