One of the three Korean suspects who allegedly murdered a man and disposed of his body in a barrel in a Pattaya reservoir has refuted the accusations after being detained in South Korea.
The suspect, who is in his 20s, remains unidentified by South Korean police.
On Monday, Pol Maj Gen Theeradet Thumsuthee, a chief investigator from the Metropolitan Police Bureau, named the detained individual as Lee Roun.
Yonhap news agency reported that the suspect denied the charges during his interrogation on Monday night. However, South Korean authorities are planning to seek a formal arrest warrant.
The suspect was captured at his Jeongeup residence in North Jeolla province, South Korea, after recently returning from Thailand. Surveillance camera footage was instrumental in tracking his movements prior to his arrest.
Collaborating with Thai officials, South Korea is actively involved in locating the two remaining suspects who are still at large.
Allegedly, the trio is implicated in the murder of a Korean individual, reportedly Roh Eui Jong, who was reported missing on May 3 after being abducted by three South Korean men.
Thai investigators are awaiting DNA test results from samples collected from the victim’s elder sister and father to confirm his identity.
The suspects were identified through CCTV footage tracking their movements from the day the victim went missing. They were seen transporting a large plastic barrel in a rented pickup truck to Map Prachan reservoir in Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri, near Pattaya.
Surveillance footage also captured one of the suspects purchasing a similar barrel before dumping it into the reservoir on May 5. Subsequently, divers recovered the barrel from the reservoir containing the victim’s body encased in concrete on Saturday evening.
