The officer responsible for the investigation of the Nov 17 murder of Songkhla municipality mayor Peera Tantiserane expects his team will solve the case soon.
Investigators say the pickup truck used in the assassination has yielded clues. Police suspect political conflictsasthemotive for the Nov 17 shooting.
Pol Lt Gen Phisit Phisutthisak, commander of Provincial Police Region 9, said it won't be long until the investigators arrest all the suspects linked to the high-profile murder case, including the mastermind.
Local political conflicts are suspected as the motive for Peera's killing. The mayor was gunned down as he was leaving Songkhla Forum Co on Nakhon Nai road.
Four days after the assassination, police investigators named four suspects involved in the shooting and warrants were issued for their arrests.
The suspects were identified as Paisal Nupan, 47; his younger brother Chayan, 41; Niwat Ratkaeo, 46; and Chuan Muatmi, 50.
Two of the four _ Mr Paisal and Mr Niwat _ turned themselves in to police on Nov 19 and 27, respectively.
They have denied any involvement in the murder.
Pol Lt Gen Phisit praised his team's ability to quickly obtain clues and evidence.
He said he divided investigators into two groups. The first group was assigned to hunt for the gunmen by looking for clues, mainly in the security camera footage. The other group investigated any potential conflicts that may have involved Peera.
Investigators found a Toyota Vigo pickup truck, thought to have been used in the assassination, in the compound of a local radio station in Samila soon after the crime was committed. The team found a spent bullet cartridge on its windscreen wiper.
The officers discovered it was the same calibre as casings found at the crime scene, and believe the spent cartridge was fired from the assault rifle used by one of the gunmen.
Investigators obtained additional clues about the suspected gunmen from the pickup's registration plate and by searching a house in Trang believed to be used as the hitmen's hideout. All this information, together with witness accounts, helped police identify the murder suspects, Pol Lt Gen Phisit said.
Meanwhile, the group responsible for looking into Peera's potential enemies compiled a list of politicians and municipality officials who are suspected of having conflicts with the mayor.
The team said Peera has had conflicts with many local politicians, including a top official at Songkhla's Provincial Administration Organisation (PAO) office.
Police said Peera opposed the PAO's proposed cable car project at Laem Son On because he believed the project would affect a pine forest at the cape.
Investigators discovered that the PAO official _ who lost to Peera in the mayor's election last April _ has a younger brother who owns the radio station where the pickup truck linked to the suspected killers was found.
The police probe also found Peera had numerous conflicts with officials who worked under his rival at the PAO.
The team is now trying to identify who ordered the killing. Police are hopeful that interrogations of the suspects will lead them to the mastermind.
Police suspect that Mr Paisal, who is believed to be a close aide of the PAO official, was the driver of the pickup truck used in the murder.
According to the investigative team, both Mr Paisal and Mr Niwat faced murder charges in Songkhla's Ranot district in 2007, but the cases against them were dropped by the court. Pol Lt Gen Phisit said the two suspects appeared to have a well-prepared defence.
He said that police are confident they will obtain more clues and evidence to arrest the individual who planned the murder.
Pol Lt Gen Phisit admitted the search for the mastermind is more difficult than identifying the gunmen, but added: "I don't think this case is as difficult as many people may think."
Contact Crime Track: crimetrack@bangkokpost.co.th