Police announce the quick
arrest of 4 men accused of murder.
Teerarak Suthathiwong
A suspected drug dealer and three alleged accomplices were arrested
for killing a non-paying customer in the woods near Mabprachan Reservoir.
Alleged shooter Wittaya Thitapan, 30, along with Wittawas Laokane, 21,
Ekapol Saetan, 26, and Teerapong Raksayart, 27, were arrested by Nongprue
police a day after the body of Nat Suwankhum, 29, was found in a patch of
eucalyptus trees in East Pattaya.
Investigators recovered the 11mm pistol believed to have killed Nat, along
with 0.6 g. of crystal methamphetamines and 2 ya ba tablets.
Police alleged the assassination came at the orders of “Boy Ice” Sakhakul,
an inmate at Ayutthaya Prison who still is managing a national drug-dealing
ring. Investigators said Boy Ice hired Wittaya’s crew because Nat owed money
for past drug purchases.
Nat’s widow, Sudjai Leklai, 22, said that before the death, Wittaya had
telephoned and asked her husband to meet on Soi Sukhumvit 44. They drove
together to the street where the suspects pushed Nat into a car and drove
away, she said.
Police said the suspects confessed to killing Nat, taking him from the soi
where they met on the premise they were going to sell him more drugs at
Mabprachan. When they arrived at the lake, Wittawas threatened Nat with the
handgun, but accidentally shot him in the leg. At that point, police said,
Wittaya took the gun from Wittawas and shot Nat twice more, killing him with
a shot to the eye.
Investigators admitted that both Wittaya and Ekpol already had been under
investigation for illegal drug use and that a raid on their house had been
planned, but was scheduled too late to save Nat.
