BANGKOK — Police have detained seven people suspected of kidnapping the manager of a Bangkok medical instrument company, who was then believed to have been killed and his body burned in Lop Buri province in a case allegedly motivated by a love triangle.

Nine people were initially involved in the plot, including one mastermind and eight other men, police said. Charred remains found in the bathroom of an abandoned house in Lop Buri on Tuesday are believed to be those of the victim, identified as 46-year-old Rut Maneeprasert.

The Kidnapping

The kidnapping took place on Ratchadaphisek Soi 18 in Bangkok’s Huai Khwang
district on February 18. Investigators said the gang seized Rut in a staged car crash before taking him to a house in Samut Prakan province, where the situation turned deadly.

Police later found bloodstains at the Samut Prakan property, indicating the victim was killed there by a separate three-person “hit team” brought in specifically for the killing.

Body Disposal Route

Investigators believe the culprits then transported the victim’s body through Nakhon Sawan and Phetchabun provinces before returning to Lop Buri, where they burned it in an abandoned house in an attempt to destroy evidence. The charred remains discovered Tuesday are undergoing forensic examination to confirm the victim’s identity.

Seven held in kidnapping, suspected killing of Bangkok businessmanhttps://t.co/jz0YLBSFiV pic.twitter.com/4hdGVpZKZM

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Financial Transactions

Police revealed that the mastermind paid 300,000 baht for the operation and promised an additional 50,000 baht if Rut’s mobile phone was successfully retrieved, suggesting the phone may have contained incriminating evidence related to the motive.

Love Triangle Motive

The motive reportedly stemmed from the mastermind’s discovery of a video showing an intimate encounter between his girlfriend and the victim. The video allegedly triggered the deadly plot. Police have called the woman in for questioning as they continue to investigate the full circumstances surrounding the case.

Suspects at Large

While seven suspects are now in custody, two others remain at large. Authorities are continuing their manhunt for the remaining fugitives and have urged anyone with information about their whereabouts to come forward.

The case highlights the extreme violence that can arise from personal disputes and the sophisticated planning involved in contract-style killings, with multiple teams assigned to different stages of the operation.

-Thailand News (TN)