Thai police have arrested four suspects in a high-profile case involving the kidnapping and murder of two Russian nationals and a local family of three. Diana Nazimova, 22, and her brother Roman, 17, disappeared near the resort city of Pattaya earlier this week.
The siblings moved to Thailand with their mother several years ago and lived in the Huai Yai area southeast of Pattaya. According to police, they left their home on a rented Honda ADV 150 motorcycle before dawn on July 26. Shortly afterwards, Diana sent her mother a message saying that someone appeared to be following them, before contact with the two was lost.
CCTV footage showed them speaking with another motorcyclist not far from their home before their disappearance, according to local media. The incident prompted a search operation that three days later led to the discovery of their vehicle, which had been dismantled and buried in a wooded area near an abandoned cemetery.
Police identified two men – Thana “Pong” Koedthong, 43, and Thongchai “Thong” Srinil, 39 – as the principal suspects in the case. The two were detained near Thailand’s border with Cambodia on July 31 following a five-day manhunt.
BREAKING: Two Russian siblings missing in #Thailand have been killed over a motorcycle.17-year-old Roman was shot dead.His 22-year-old sister Diana was beaten to death.Thai police arrested two suspects near the #Cambodian 🇰🇭 border. The men confessed to murdering the pair… pic.twitter.com/hFMz769EFh
During questioning, the suspects confessed to killing the siblings and led investigators to a shallow grave in a wooded area of Huai Yai. Police recovered two bodies believed to be those of Diana and Roman, with forensic examinations still ongoing.
🔴 Tayland’da günlerdir aranan Rus kardeşlerin öldürüldüğü ortaya çıktı.Pattaya yakınlarında kaybolan 22 yaşındaki Diana ile 17 yaşındaki Roman’ın motosikleti parçalanarak toprağa gömülmüş halde bulundu.Yakalanan iki şüpheli, kardeşleri motosikletlerini çalmak amacıyla… pic.twitter.com/lXkJ854FDh
The suspects reportedly posed as police officers conducting a routine check to stop the siblings on a road. They then handcuffed the brother and forced the Russians to accompany them to a wooded area while threatening them with firearms. Police have named robbery as a potential motive, as the killers took their belongings, including the motorcycle.
One of the suspects, Thong, also confessed to his involvement in the kidnapping and murder of a local family that disappeared around two months ago. Police searched a second site located just a few kilometers away and recovered three more bodies.
Pong and Thong now stand accused of premeditated murder, robbery, firearms offenses and impersonating police officers. Two additional suspects were also arrested in connection with the second murder case. The Thai corrections service confirmed that Pong had been released from prison only on June 5 after serving seven years and seven months for attempted murder, firearms offenses and drug offenses.
The case prompted Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to formally apologize to Russia over the incident, saying it had damaged the country’s image and public confidence in its tourism industry. He also vowed to take “urgent measures” to ensure that similar crimes “never” happen again.
The Russian Embassy in Thailand said it was closely monitoring the investigation and expected the suspected perpetrators to face justice. It added that Moscow had no complaints against the Thai authorities but maintained that effective action by Thai law enforcement would be “of key importance” in the case.
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