HELICOPTER SENT TO CAMBODIA FOR SPEEDY EXTRADITION
"We received a request from Thai police to arrest this man, and after launching an investigation we found him,'' said Cambodian police. "We will hand him over to Thailand.''
Thai police reportedly sent a helicopter to Cambodia on Monday to try to expedite the suspect's return.
Matichon Online reported that national police chief Gen Chakthip Chaichinda was waiting to arrest him at the Police Aviation Division at Km 4 on Ram Intra road.
VICTIM'S IDENTITY
Thai police have identified the murder victim as David Bernat, 40, of Spain, who was described as a consultant.
Bernat was working as an adviser to a foreign company and had travelled through Thailand 271 times over the past decade, mostly to Myanmar. The most recent visit was on Jan 19 when he arrived in Bangkok from Tehran.
ABDUCTED, TORTURED & FORCED TO TRANSFER MONEY
Police speculated that Bernat was abducted, tortured and forced to transfer a large amount of money before being killed.
Police have confirmed that the seven human body parts found in the Chao Phraya River belong to Bernat. Fingerprints taken from the dismembered hand matched prints belonging to Bernat.
The body parts, including a head, hand, torso, feet and parts of a leg, were found in several locations in the river in Bangkok, Pathum Thani and Nonthaburi over the past week.
REPORTED MISSING, KEPT CAPTIVE BEFORE DEATH
Bernat was reported missing from Nantiruj Tower in Sukhumvit Soi 8 in Klong Toey where he had stayed since Jan 20.
He was last seen riding a motorcycle from the apartment he was staying at on the night of Jan 20. Bernat's relatives reported him missing to police in Spain after they could not get in touch with him.
Police reportedly found a keycard inserted in the door of Bernat's room (but never removed) on the 10th floor of the apartment when the police team arrived to search the apartment.
Police searched the room and found money transfer documents showing Bernat had made several transactions to people in Thailand, Spain and Singapore.
Police believe, based on an initial investigation, that Bernat was detained somewhere and "coerced into doing something" before he was killed, cut into parts and then dumped into the river.
Forensic results showed no food was found in Bernat's stomach, suggesting that he might not have eaten for a couple of days before he was killed.
Forensic officials believed that he was killed between Jan 25 and 27, several days after he was last seen.