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Phuket murder suspect arrested after 20 years, caught by traffic stop

Phuket murder suspect arrested after 20 years, caught by traffic stop

PHUKET: A man wanted for murder committed in broad daylight on Thepkrasattri Rd 20 years ago has been arrested in Satun province, south of Phuket, after he was stopped for driving a car without license plates.

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By The Phuket News

Monday 2 September 2019 06:11 PM


Police in La-ngu stand with arrested suspect Seree Thong-iab (holding paper to hide face), 43, in front of the police station. Photo: La-ngu Police

Police in La-ngu stand with arrested suspect Seree Thong-iab (holding paper to hide face), 43, in front of the police station. Photo: La-ngu Police

Col Somsak Meesatjanon, Chief of the La-ngu Police, handed over the suspect, 43-year-old Satun native Seree Thong-iab, to Maj Hansuk Sritan and Capt Seree Ong-oad of the Phuket City Police on Thursday (Aug 29), , Capt Amnoui Medee of the La-ngu Police confirmed to The Phuket News.

Officers Maj Hansuk and Capt Seree had travelled from Phuket to Satun specifically to collect Seree, and bring him back to face prosecution.

Seree was wanted on Phuket Provincial Court arrest warrant no. 222/2019, issued on Aug 16, 2019, Capt Amnoui explained.

In the arrest warrant, Seree was wanted for premeditated murder, theft and illegal possession of gun in a crime he allegedly committed in Phuket on Aug 16, 1999.

Col Somsak and other officers caught Seree on the La-ngu – Pak Bara Rd, in Moo 6, La-ngu, at 3:40pm, last Wednesday (Aug 28), Capt Amnoui explained.

“The suspect was driving a white Toyota Camry without license plates,” he said.

Officers stopped and checked the vehicle, and checked Seree’s identification details through the national crime database, and found that he was wanted for murder, he added.

Police examined the car but did not found anything illegal, Capt Amnoui noted.

Seree was allegedly involved in a murder in front of a SuperCheap store on Thepkrasattri Rd in Rassada at 1:30pm, on Sept 6, 1999, Capt Amnoui explained.

“He had been on the run for 20 years, and this criminal case had only one week left before the statute of limitation for the crime expired,” he said.

Capt Amnoui added that he did not know any other details of the crime.

“We were just made aware of the arrest warrant issued for Seree on Aug 16 this year,” he said.