Police suspect a Chinese gang in the murder of an unidentified woman, whose body was found in a suitcase weighted with dumbbells in a reservoir in Chon Buri province.
The woman’s nationality is unknown, and she is believed to be between 30 and 40 years old. Her body was discovered on September 3, and it’s thought she had been dead for at least five days.
Investigators are focusing on a rented SUV, a bronze-grey Toyota, suspected to be involved in the crime. The vehicle was traced back to a rental company in Pattaya. The SUV was reportedly used to purchase dumbbells at a shopping centre in Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri, which matches the type used in the crime.
At 3pm yesterday, September 6, Police Lieutenant Colonel Nitipoom Batrwong and forensic officers from Chon Buri gathered evidence from the SUV. They meticulously collected fingerprint samples and noticed significant damage to the car.
The vehicle’s front left skirt was cracked, and there were scrape marks, possibly from rocks, around the body. Soil residue was also found on certain parts of the car. DNA samples were taken from seven people, including the car’s rental company owner and employees involved in leasing the vehicle, to aid in the investigation.
The rental car’s owner provided crucial information, revealing that a Chinese customer had rented the vehicle for a month, from August 10 to September 10. The vehicle was picked up at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Samut Prakan by two Chinese men.
Woman murder
One of them was a returning customer who had rented from them months earlier. However, on August 30 at 6.30pm, the car was returned ahead of schedule, with the customer citing an urgent departure to China. The vehicle was returned by one Chinese man and two Thai women, and the rental company staff received it.
The rental company employees noted that the vehicle had been thoroughly cleaned and was in pristine condition upon its return. However, they detected damage to the front skirt of the SUV. The renter agreed to pay over 2,000 baht (US$62) for the repairs before departing.
The employees who delivered the car to the renters on August 10 reported that two Chinese men picked up the vehicle, but they did not find anything suspicious at the time, reported KhaoSod.
The police investigation has started to reveal clearer information about the suspects, with the car rental documents and photographs being pivotal pieces of evidence. Although the police have not yet disclosed detailed updates, it is suspected that the perpetrators are a group of Chinese nationals. The motive behind this gruesome murder and the concealment of the body remain undetermined.
The story Chon Buri suitcase murder linked to Chinese gang as seen on Thaiger News.
