The last suspect accused of murdering a Korean man in Pattaya, Thailand, last May and disposing of the body has finally been apprehended by police after four months on the run.
The Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency's Criminal Investigation Unit announced on the 24th that they had extradited the final suspect, a man in his 30s identified as A, to Korea via Incheon International Airport that morning.
The police are continuing their investigation by escorting A to the Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency's Criminal Investigation Unit.
According to the police, A is accused of kidnapping and murdering a Korean tourist in his 30s in Pattaya, Thailand last May, together with two other Korean accomplices, and then disposing of the body in a reservoir.
The last suspect in the Drum Barrel murder case in Pattaya, Thailand, is being forcibly repatriated to South Korea through Incheon International Airport. Photo by Gyeongnam Police Agency
After committing the crime, he fled to neighboring countries but was eventually caught due to the persistent pursuit of Korean and local police.
It was found that A used various methods, such as using someone else's identification, to evade capture and move between hideouts as his accomplices were arrested one after another and the police dragnet closed in.
The police issued an Interpol Red Notice for the fugitive A and searched Thailand, where the crime occurred, as well as neighboring countries Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.
A was designated as a key fugitive, and intelligence regarding his whereabouts was collected and tracked.
During the investigation, the Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency's Criminal Investigation Unit confirmed that A was in Vietnam and dispatched a liaison officer to the country to request swift apprehension from the Korean Embassy in Vietnam and the local Ministry of Public Security.
In response, Korean police officers stationed throughout Vietnam cooperated with local law enforcement agencies to gather intelligence, monitor the suspect's movements, and tighten the net around him.
Subsequently, on the 11th, a key lead regarding the suspect's whereabouts obtained by the Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency's investigation team was shared in real time, and on the following day, the 12th, local authorities raided a hideout in Vietnam and arrested A.
With this, all three accomplices in the so-called "Pattaya Drum Barrel Murder Case" have been apprehended.
Thai police are examining the body of a Korean tourist contained in a black plastic container recovered from a reservoir in Pattaya, Thailand. [Photo by Thai media Khaosod website capture]
B, in his 20s, was caught in Jeongeup, Jeonbuk, and C, also in his 20s, was apprehended in Cambodia; both are currently on trial at the Changwon District Court.
Previously, the three suspects made the victim drink alcohol laced with drugs at a club in Thailand last May. After the victim became intoxicated, they put him in a prepared vehicle and moved him to an accommodation they had reserved as the crime scene.
When the victim protested that they were heading in the wrong direction, they bound his hands and feet, strangled him, and beat him with their fists and other means, resulting in his death.
They then transferred 3.7 million won from the victim's mobile phone to their account and, after returning to the accommodation, placed the victim's body in a drum barrel and disposed of it in a nearby reservoir.
After the crime, they also attempted to extort ransom by calling the victim's mother and threatening to harm him, but the attempt was unsuccessful.
A police official stated, "Considering the seriousness of this crime and the public interest, we consistently requested the transfer of the suspect from the Vietnamese authorities and dispatched officers to forcibly repatriate him on the 24th. We will strengthen international cooperation to ensure that major overseas fugitives are relentlessly tracked down, apprehended, and brought to justice."
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