An Australian man has been arrested at a major airport in Thailand after police linked him to the alleged murder of a 17-year-old girl whose naked body was found stuffed inside a suitcase, authorities said.
The 46-year-old man was taken into custody at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport around 9:30 p.m. Friday while allegedly preparing to board a Jetstar flight to Perth, according to local reports.
Photos from the scene showed Thai immigration officers detaining the man at the airport.
The arrest came after police in the resort city of Pattaya began investigating the death of the Thai teenager, whose body was discovered inside a suitcase near a railway track behind the Floating Market in Pattaya, a coastal city on Thailand’s eastern Gulf coast.
Pattaya city police said in a statement on social media that the Australian national was detained while allegedly attempting to leave the country in connection with the case.
The suspect has denied involvement in the girl’s alleged abduction and murder, a police official in Pattaya told Agence France-Presse.
Investigators are still waiting on the results of a postmortem examination and other evidence before formally filing charges, the official said.
Possible charges could include child abduction, murder, hiding a corpse and abduction of a minor for sexual purposes, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Police allege CCTV footage showed the man entering an apartment building in Pattaya with the 17-year-old girl in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Local reports said the man was later seen leaving the building several hours later with a large black suitcase, which he allegedly transported on the back of a motorbike.
The suitcase was found Friday near the railway track. Inside, police discovered the teen’s body, which reportedly showed signs of violence, according to local outlet The Pattaya News.
Pattaya 24 News also shared CCTV footage that appeared to show the girl holding hands with a Caucasian-looking man while waiting for an elevator shortly after 3:30 a.m. Thursday. The outlet also shared footage allegedly showing the same man removing a suitcase from the building.
As the investigation unfolded, Pattaya City Police reportedly asked immigration officers to place a watch notice on the suspect to stop him from leaving Thailand.
According to Nation Thailand, police questioned the man, who then allegedly provided information about where the suitcase had been dumped.
“After receiving the information, Immigration officers coordinated with investigators from Pattaya City Police Station, who rushed to inspect the location,” the outlet reported. “Officers later found the body of [the teenage girl] based on the information provided during questioning.”
Nation Thailand reported that the man was arrested on charges connected to murder and concealment of a body.
A spokesperson for Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed that officials are providing consular assistance to an Australian detained in Thailand.
“Owing to our privacy obligations we are unable to provide further comment,” the spokesperson said.
This 💩 turd will not fare well in a Thai prison!!!