Police are following the trail of about 78 million baht that circulated through bank accounts held by alleged serial killer Sararat “Aem” Rangsiwuthaporn.
Deputy national police chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn said yesterday the money had been transferred to 12 people. Police will check to see if any of them were involved in crimes believed committed by the suspect before seeking court warrants for their arrest. He said the investigation was about 80% complete.
“We are just awaiting the money trail, details of her bank accounts and forensic results before putting the evidence into the police report. The investigation is expected to be finalised tomorrow,” he said.
Police have also taken a statement from an insurance agent who said the suspect talked to her in January about buying a 7-million-baht health and life insurance policy for her late boyfriend, Sutthisak “Dae” Phoonkhwan. The annual premium was 100,000 baht.
The agent, who was a classmate of Ms Sararat’s, said the suspect wanted the beneficiary to be her daughter but later changed her mind and named herself. However, the insurance package was not signed.
Ms Sararat, 36, dubbed “Aem Cyanide”, was arrested on April 25 at the government complex on Chaeng Watthana Road in Bangkok. She is four months pregnant.
Her arrest followed a complaint filed by the mother and elder sister of Siriporn “Koy” Khanwong, 32, of Kanchanaburi. Siriporn collapsed and died beside the Mae Klong River in Ban Pong district of Ratchaburi, where she had gone with Ms Sararat to release fish for merit-making on April 14. Cyanide was found in her body. The list of her alleged victims has continued to grow.
On Tuesday, the Criminal Court approved an arrest warrant for Ms Sararat for allegedly poisoning a 15th victim with cyanide in 2015.
Most victims were linked to the suspect through private saving schemes and financing of cars, Pol Gen Surachate said. “All the dead victims were found to have been with Aem before they died. All the murders were for the purpose of clearing debts,” he said.