There is strong commotion in the country for the murder on a Thai island of a 44-year-old Colombian plastic surgeon, whom the authorities of that nation identified as Edwin Arrieta Arteaga.
As reported by the police on Saturday, the events occurred on the popular Thai tourist island of Koh Pha Ngan. A Spanish man has already confessed to having murdered and dismembered the body of the Colombian.
(Keep reading: Who was Colombian surgeon Edwin Arrieta, assassinated in Thailand?).
The discovery of the doctor’s body
Koh Phangan police explained that Daniel Sancho, 29, He went to the police station on Thursday night to report the disappearance of his friend, a Colombian surgeon who supposedly arrived on the island a day earlier.
A garbage collector had discovered the same Thursday parts of a body hidden in a bag of fertilizers dumped in a dump on the tourist island, which prompted the police to begin investigating a possible murder.
(Also read: “Cheerful and great professional”: this is how they remember the Colombian doctor murdered in Thailand)
During a new search at the same dump on Friday, more human remains were found, including a bag containing two parts of lower limbs, along with a T-shirt and shorts, local media reported.
Following the discoveries of the body, the police decided to question Daniel Sancho, a Spanish citizen, as a suspect on Friday. after noticing that he showed cuts and scratches on his body when he had gone to the police station to report the disappearance.
Likewise, other sources added that the Spanish citizen was captured by the security cameras earlier this week buying knives, a saw and garbage bags, and that they have searched his accommodation on the island located in the Gulf of
Thailand and known for its full moon parties.
(You can read: Who is Daniel Sancho, the Spaniard accused of dismembering a Colombian in Thailand?)
What is known about the alleged perpetrator
According to the Bangkok Post, citing sources of the investigation, the two men knew each other previously and had arranged to travel and meet in Koh Phangan, where the victim had reserved a room in a hotel from July 31 to August 3.
YoImages from island security cameras collected by local media show the two on a motorcycle on August 2.
A hug of solidarity for the relatives of plastic surgeon Edwin Arrieta Arteaga, whose dismembered body was found in a landfill in Thailand. In Córdoba there is mourning and pain. pic.twitter.com/HJb3W5Wc1Z
— Nidia Serrano (@NidiaSerrano) August 4, 2023
And this Saturday, police sources told AFP that Daniel Sancho Bronchalo, 29, who arrived in Thailand on July 31 as a tourist, confessed to the murder.
“He admitted it,” Panya Niratimanon, the Koh Pha Ngan police chief, told AFP, adding that the investigation is ongoing.
“The victim and the suspect knew each other before they came to Thailand, and their dubious activities indicate that they may have murdered the victim,” Panya said.
(Also: The macabre clues to the crime of a Colombian doctor who was dismembered in Thailand)
The victim and the suspect knew each other before coming to Thailand
The suspect works as a chef and is the son of well-known Spanish actor Rodolfo Sancho, according to news reports.
Thailand is a relatively safe country, where violent crime is rare. Koh Pha Ngan is famous for its white sandy beaches and attracts thousands of backpackers to its wild ‘full moon’ parties.
In 2014, another resort island, Koh Tao, was the scene of the murder of two young British backpackers. Two Burmese nationals are serving life sentences for these events, but human rights groups have accused the Thai authorities of using the men as scapegoats.
The relatives of the doctor Edwin Arrieta Arteaga, assassinated in Thailand, indicated that they will refrain from giving statements, so as not to hinder the investigation. pic.twitter.com/spYFq5qOCP
— Nidia Serrano (@NidiaSerrano) August 5, 2023
Edwin Arrieta Arteaga was a plastic and reconstructive surgeon who carried out his work in Montería, according to local media.
(You can read: This is how the international press reports the case of Nicolás Petro about money received)
Mayor Carlos Ordosgoitia lamented the murder of the doctor through his social networks. “Edwin’s departure hurts our souls. Great human being, friend and excellent professional. Our most sincere condolences and a big hug to all his family. RIP,” she wrote on her Twitter account.
Edwin’s departure hurts our souls. Great human being, friend and excellent professional. Our most sincere condolences and a big hug to all his relatives. RIP pic.twitter.com/cN6OruiOqx
— Carlos Ordosgoitia (@caordosgoitia) August 4, 2023
INTERNATIONAL WRITING
*With AFP and EFE
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