Bangkok Post – Dismissed officer arrested after nearly 10 years on the run

A fired Border Patrol agent wanted for the kidnapping and murder of two young men in Songkhla almost 10 years ago has been arrested in Narathiwat.

Police commandos arrested police sergeant Khomkrit Maneewong, 39, outside a house in Cho Airong district on Wednesday, according to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CIB).

Khomkrit was wanted on several charges, including conspiracy to commit murder, illegal possession and use of firearms, and illegal possession resulting in death.

His arrest came after the bodies of two kidnapped men were found floating in Songkhla Lake in Sathing Phra district in June 2015.

On June 6, 2015, police at Singha Nakhon police station received information that the two young men, identified only as Phanu, 21, and Narenrit, 17, had been kidnapped by a group of armed men. Phanu’s body was later discovered floating in Songkhla Lake on the evening of June 7, with multiple gunshot wounds to his head and body. The next morning, Narenrit’s body was found in the same lake with serious head injuries, believed to have been caused by a hard object.

The investigation led to the identification of the suspects involved in the murders. Court approval was sought to arrest five suspects, and four were subsequently apprehended. Khomkrit, the last suspect, had escaped arrest until his capture on Wednesday.

The arrest team also seized five weapons and ammunition from the house.

During his interrogation, the former police officer admitted to being a suspect covered by the arrest warrant. Although he denied shooting the victims, he claimed to have witnessed the incident. He was handed over to the Cho Airong police.

A source reported that Khomkrit was fired from the Border Police in 2014 due to his alleged involvement in the illicit drug trade.

Arms and ammunition were seized from the former policeman’s home in Cho Airong district of Narathiwat province on Wednesday. (Photo: Central Bureau of Investigation)