NARATHIWAT: At least 10 people were involved in the murder of four victims whose bodies were found in Narathiwat's Waeng district this week, the provincial police force said yesterday.
Pol Col Direk Chomyong, deputy commander of Narathiwat Provincial Police, said the dead were residents of the province.
Three, identified as Muhammad-Areya Rahmad, 38; Niheng Prapeah, 27; and Assaree Muelee, 19, were found stuffed into the trunk of a Toyota Yaris dumped at Bueng Juerae pond on Tuesday.
The body of Muhsen Yahkoh, 31, was found yesterday floating in the Su-ngai Kolok River, 20 kilometres away from the pond.
All were identified using information collected from their DNA and other evidence, as none of their identification documents were found, Pol Col Direk said.
Autopsies showed they had been shot by a firearm at least three to four days before the bodies were found. They are believed to have been murdered in another location before being dumped.
Pol Col Direk said the investigation indicates the four victims may have known the killers. Except for Assaree, they all had a history of dealing narcotics, Pol Col Direk said.
Based on the scale of the murders and the effort required to conceal the bodies, the team estimated at least 10 people were involved in the killings, with a drug dispute considered the most likely motive. However, Pol Col Direk said officers have not ruled out the possibility of another motive being at play.
The team plans to invite anyone who had a close relationship with the victims for questioning.
The investigation will also be expanded to include evidence found inside the dumped Yaris. The car's last-known owner was a resident of Nakhon Si Thammarat.
The bodies were being kept at Princess of Naradhiwas Hospital. Later, they will be taken to Prince of Songkhla Hospital for a full autopsy including the removal of all bullets, said Pol Col Direk.