3 arrested for killing 2 Lao women

3 arrested for killing 2 Lao women

Police have arrested three Thai men and are looking for another suspect for the murder of two Lao women whose bodies were found on Tuesday in Huay Luang stream in Muang district of Udon Thani province, police said.

The three men were identified at a press conference as Khomsan Maorasi, 32, and Suthin Khemphudthai, 26, both of Udon Thani's Muang district, and Chalermrit Promrit, 29, of Nong Khai's Muang district.

Pol Lt Gen Kawi Suphanan, chief of Region 4 Provincial Police, said the murder involved cross-border drug smuggling.

He said the bodies of On, last name not known, 26, a native of Luang Prabang, and Phrai Sybounheuang, 22, were found in the Huay Luang stream near the bridge linking Sam Phrao and Nong Bua communities in tambon Sam Phrao on Aug 20.

Evidence obtained from forensic examination led police to arrest the three men and seize a black Chevrolet car and a black Nissan pickup truck used by them.

Pol Lt Gen Kawi said the three suspects confessed that two weeks ago Apichai Chansawang, 32, an employee of the Muang Udon Thani branch of Thanachart Bank, asked them to arrange for him to meet Ms On, who they said was a Lao call girl.

On Aug 20 they called Ms On on the phone, telling her to come to meet them at Nong Khai Inn Hotel in Nong Khai where they opened two rooms for sex services.

Ms On came with Ms Phrai, her friend, to the hotel. After having sex with them the three men took the two girls in the Nissan pickup truck to a rendezvous in front of Wat Samakkhi Noen Phayao at Ban Na Khlong on Nong Khai-Phon Phisai road in Muang district of Nong Khai to see Mr Apichai, the other suspect who is still at large.

According to the account given by the three suspects, Ms On, on seeing Mr Apichai, opened the pickup's door and ran away. Mr Apichai gave chase and captured her. The two Lao girls were then taken in the pickup truck, driven by Mr Chalermrit, to Udon Thani.

On the way, Ms On was assaulted and believed to have died from a broken neck. Mr Apichai told Mr Chalermrit to drive to Huay Luang stream. He gave a gun to Mr Chalermrit, who shot Ms Phrai dead. The bodies were then dumped into the stream.

Pol Lt Gen Kawi said Mr Khomsan and Mr Apichai had run a cross-border drug trade together with a man who was Ms On's husband. They had given money to the man to buy methamphetamine pills, ice or crystal methamphetamine and marijuana in Laos to smuggle across the border to Nong Khai.

Ms On's husband was recently arrested by Nong Khai police with 100 methamphetamine pills, 5kg marijuana and some ice.

Mr Khomsan and Mr Apichai then turned to Ms On to help. They last gave Ms On several hundreds of thousands of baht to buy drugs, but the woman only took the money but did not buy the drugs.

This led to the murder of Ms On and her friend, Ms Phrai, who knew nothing about the drug trade and the problem between them, Pol Lt Gen Kawi said.

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