POLICE in far southern Narathiwat province are investigating the ambush and slaying of Chanae district deputy chief and his girlfriend at around 1 a.m. this morning (April 1) focusing on whether this arose from national security or a personal issue, Amarin TV said.
AT 9.30 a.m. this morning a team from Narathiwat’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit and forensic officers plus other relevant officials inspected the crime scene with the pickup truck belonging to the deputy district chief, Mr. Monchai Jitkamolkarn, parked on the roadside in front of house of his girlfriend, Ms. Haida Buehraheng, 27.
The couple were found riddled with bullets in the vehicle which was peppered with bullet holes on three sides – left, right and rear.
The team also found 68 spent casings of four different sizes there with three being 11mm, seventeen 9mm, four M16, and 38 AK-47. Six undamaged rounds of various types of ammunition were also found at the scene. These were collected as evidence.
Haidah’s father told police that Monchai had picked up his daughter at 8 p.m. to run errands and returned to drop her off at 12.30 a.m., parking the pickup truck in front of his house. He then heard gunshots for almost five minutes and when the firing stopped he went out and saw that Monchai’s vehicle was riddled with bullets. Upon opening the door, he saw that they were both dead.
In assessing this crime police believe the perpetrators worked in two four-member groups. The first group ambushed the couple from an orchard across Haidah’s house while the second group followed them on motorcycles. The group that was hiding in the orchard surrounded the vehicle and opened fire as soon as Monchai parked it after which they took his government-issued M16 assault rifle from the back seat and fled.
While investigators are probing two possible motives for the crime with one being national security and the other a personal issue involving other individuals, the latter was given less weight.
Haidah’s body has been collected by her relatives from the district hospital for funeral within this district while Monchai’s relatives will be taking his body for religious rites in Chumphon.
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Top and Front Page – The scene of the murder of Chanae deputy district chief and his girlfriend. Photos – Amarin TV
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