TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The body of a man who suffered multiple gunshot wounds found near Thailand's main airport was confirmed on Monday (Feb. 26) to be that of a wanted Taiwanese criminal.
A Taiwanese man was found fatally shot in an abandoned restaurant near Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand. The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) confirmed on Monday that the deceased individual was 44-year-old Shih Mao-chiang (石茂強), a fugitive wanted by authorities, reported CNA.
Thai police have identified some suspects and will maintain close communication with the CIB as it assists in the investigation. According to Thai media, the body was discovered by cleaning staff in the kitchen of an abandoned eatery, and forensic experts found three gunshot wounds on the victim's head, reported Storm Media.
Selfie taken by Shih Mao-chiang (石茂強). (Facebook, Mao-chiang photo)
Gloves and half a kilogram of ketamine were also found at the scene, and the deceased had gold rings on both hands. The preliminary assessment indicated that Shih was deliberately shot and had been dead for more than seven hours, per Khaosod English.
Lee Kun-ta (李昆達), a researcher in the CIB International Criminal Affairs Division, was cited by CNA as saying that the Thai police investigated a case of an unidentified man shot to death on Sunday (Feb. 25). Thai authorities released a public appeal through local media and presented a frontal photo and distinctive features of the deceased, noting a tattoo on the arm with the Chinese character "羅" (Lo).
Thai authorities received information from the public, including a tattoo artist, who recognized the tattoo and said the deceased was Taiwanese.
Tattoo reads "羅" on Shih's arm. (Facebook, Shih Mao-chiang photo)
On Sunday, Thai authorities contacted the CIB's liaison officer in Thailand and provided information for identity verification. Through preliminary photo matching, it was confirmed that the individual was of Taiwanese nationality.
To exercise caution, the CIB once again compared the fingerprints provided by the Thai authorities. Through forensic analysis, they confirmed that the deceased was Shih, a Taiwanese fugitive wanted by law enforcement.
Shih was reportedly wanted for breaching the Controlling Guns, Knives and Ammunition Act (槍砲彈藥刀械管制條例), committing robbery (強盜罪), and inflicting negligent bodily harm (過失傷害) in a traffic accident. Since the deceased had fled Taiwan illegally, there was no specific information regarding his exact departure time.
Thai female suspect. (Royal Thai Police image)
Lee said that since the authorities have found evidence that Shih's body had been moved from one location to another after being shot, Thai police are continuously reviewing local surveillance systems and interviewing nearby residents to clarify the situation. They have identified at least five suspects, including one Thai woman and four men, one of whom drove a red Mazda to and from the restaurant.
In addition, the Thai woman, who is in her 20s, reportedly lived in a nearby house and was occasionally visited by three to four Chinese nationals, reported ETtoday. The Thai woman fled the scene of the crime with other suspects who were overheard speaking Chinese.
The CIB stated that it would respect the progress of the Thai authorities' investigation and maintain close contact with them, assisting as needed.
