Thai police suspect a 56-year-old Vietnamese woman holding US citizenship of utilizing a deadly cyanide-infused tea concoction to poison five fellow Vietnamese individuals during a gathering at a high-end hotel in Bangkok aimed at resolving a financial disagreement.
Pol Maj Gen Nopasilp Poonsawat, deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, pinpointed the suspect as Sherine Chong, originally from Vietnam.
Allegedly, Chong had been waiting alone in room 502 on the fifth floor of the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel before her acquaintances arrived on Monday. The suspect had purportedly requested food and tea via room service beforehand. When offered assistance by hotel staff to prepare the tea, she declined, opting to handle the task herself.
Surveillance footage captured the arrival of the five other Vietnamese individuals with their luggage at the room, where they remained from Monday afternoon till their discovery by a maid on Tuesday evening.
According to Pol Maj Gen Nopasilp, the suspect had enticed the group to invest in construction ventures, including a couple who had reportedly committed a substantial sum to a hospital project in Japan. Facing stagnant progress in the ventures, legal measures were taken, prompting the scheduled court meeting in two weeks. Chong proposed an off-court gathering for negotiations, initially planned for Japan but relocated to Bangkok due to visa complications.
The victims, who had checked out earlier on Monday, reunited with Chong in room 502 for the subsequent discussions. Cyanide residue was discovered in the used teacups at the scene, with authorities initiating an investigation to trace the origin of the toxic substance.
Pol Lt Gen Trairong Phiewphan, chief of police forensic science, confirmed the presence of cyanide in tea bags retrieved from the room.
Among the alleged victims were Dang Hung Van (55), Tran Dinh Phu (37), Nguyen Thi Phuong (46), Nguyen Thi Phuong Lan (47), and Pham Hong Thanh (4
