2 Japanese gangster suspects in Thailand murder flee to Laos: police

April 26, 2024 (Mainichi Japan)

BANGKOK (Kyodo) -- Two Japanese gang members suspected of killing a Japanese man and dismembering his body in central Thailand last month have fled to a neighboring country, Thai police said Friday, with a police source identifying it as Laos.

Police Gen. Chirasan Kaeosaengake, a commissioner of the regional police covering several central provinces, told reporters that Thailand has sought the neighboring country's cooperation in searching for the two suspects. He did not identify it.

Earlier this week, Thai police obtained arrest warrants for Takuya Kato, 49, and Hiroto Suzuki, 27, on suspicion of murdering fellow gangster Ryosuke Kabashima, 47, in Nonthaburi Province.

The gang was operating a phone scam targeting Japanese citizens in their home country, according to local media reports.

A Thai man arrested Tuesday has confessed to police that he was hired to drive the three Japanese men to a warehouse in Bangkok and that one sitting in the front seat next to the driver was shot from the rear seat after the three quarreled.

He told police the two Japanese suspects dismembered the victim's body and instructed him to get rid of plastic bags containing its parts in Nonthaburi, directly northwest of Bangkok, according to the police.

The victim's skull was discovered in the province earlier this week with bullet holes, while other body parts were found last week in plastic bags discarded in a wasteland area.