NARATHIWAT (Bernama): Thai police are now hunting for four suspects believed to be involved in the brutal murder of Rueso Mayor Vichet Thaithongnun at a factory in Rueso town, Narathiwat, southern Thailand, on Thursday.
Region 9 Police Chief, Major Gen. Pol. Piyawat Chalermsi, said Vichet, 55, was attacked by four men disguised as women wearing black robes at a factory in Rueso town.
"Closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage shows four suspects dressed in black robes and armed with M16 rifles storming the factory’s meeting room and firing shots at Vichet."
"The suspects then fled on two motorcycles," he said.
Piyawat added that the suspects only fired shots at Vichet and did not injure the three other staff members who were in the meeting room.
He noted that the police also found 19 M16 shell casings at the crime scene.
The police are intensifying efforts to identify the suspects and determine the motive behind the brutal murder, stated Piyawat.
He did not rule out the possibility that the motive for the murder could be related to security issues, business conflicts, local political problems, or personal issues.
Vichet was the Mayor of Rueso for his second term, and his term of service was expected to end in March next year.
He was also appointed as the President of the Narathiwat Sports Association, three days before the incident. - Bernama
