In a late-night meeting held at Muang Pattaya Police Station, high-ranking police officials gathered to discuss the heinous murder and dismemberment of a German businessman and strategize ways to eliminate foreign mafia syndicates operating in the vicinity of Pattaya City. Present at the meeting were Pol.Lt.Gen. Surachet Hakpal, deputy commander in chief of police; Pol.Lt.Gen. Itthisaronchai, Commander-in-Chief of Region 2; and Pol. Maj. Gen. Chomchawin Purathananon, Deputy Chief of Police for Chonburi Province. Representatives from various investigative teams, including the Chonburi Province investigation team, the Nong Prue police investigation team, the Pattaya City police investigation team, the Chonburi provincial police station, and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), were also in attendance. The meeting lasted for about an hour, after which the officials proceeded to provide an interview to reporters.
During the interview, Pol. Gen. Surachet Hakpal, Deputy Commissioner of Police, expressed admiration for the diligent efforts of the Chonburi Provincial Police Region 2 and the Chonburi Immigration Office, who worked tirelessly for over a day to locate the victim’s body. Two of the three suspects, a 54-year-old individual named MS.PETRA and a 52-year-old individual named MR.OLAF, have already been apprehended following court-approved arrest warrants. Furthermore, the landlord of the crime scene has also been implicated in the investigation, and there is substantial evidence, including fingerprints, DNA, palm prints, and cigarette butts, that will be presented in court for prosecution.
In a significant development related to the brutal murder case, the fourth suspect, Shahrukh Karim Uddin, a 27-year-old Thai-Pakistani national, was captured in Kanchanaburi Province following an arrest warrant issued by the Pattaya Provincial Court. Pol. Lt. Gen. Teerachai Chamnanmoh, Commissioner of Chonburi Provincial Police Region 2, and his team successfully tracked down Uddin, highlighting the thoroughness of their investigation.
The police have made significant progress in uncovering crucial evidence related to the crime. They identified the shop in Pattaya that sold the chainsaw used in the gruesome murder. Through careful financial tracking, authorities have been able to trace the movement of 1.2 million baht (US$34,682), which has been returned to the victim’s family thus far.
In their investigation, the police discovered a Samsung S23 Ultra smartphone at the crime scene, which had connections to one of the suspects, Brinkmann. Further evidence came to light when the store records and the serial number on the murder weapon confirmed that Brinkmann and Uddin purchased the chainsaw from a shop in Pattaya. Additionally, investigators managed to trace a bank account used to transfer more than 2 million baht (US$57,802) from the deceased, implicating Brinkmann in organizing the transfer.
With regards to the ongoing investigation, the police have returned 1.25 million baht to the deceased’s wife and daughter at the Nong Prue Police Station. They continue to work diligently to ensure that the remaining funds of the deceased are recovered and returned to his family.
While the family of Uddin maintains his innocence, they point fingers at Grundgreif and Brinkmann, accusing the latter of deceiving Uddin into participating in the plot to murder the German businessman.
Furthermore, authorities seized a speedboat owned by one of the main suspects, Olaf Thorsten Brinkmann, as they believe it may have been intended for disposing of the victim’s remains in the ocean. The speedboat was reported to the police by a German friend of Brinkmann, who stored the boat.
The friend revealed that Brinkmann had asked for help in relocating the speedboat from Nong Krabok Soi 4 to the Chokchai Garden Home estate in Nong Prue. However, due to registration issues, the boat couldn’t be moored at the intended location and was subsequently moved to Phra Tamnak Soi 5.
Investigations revealed additional evidence when footage from a fishing supplies store surfaced, showing Uddin and Brinkmann purchasing equipment. Uddin, a Pakistani man holding Thai citizenship, was arrested in Kanchanaburi as he attempted to remain hidden.
The police believe that Brinkmann and Uddin conspired to dispose of the victim’s body at sea to erase any trace of the crime. However, the victim’s mutilated remains were discovered in a refrigerator inside a rented house in Nong Prue, almost a week after his disappearance. The house also contained an electric saw, ropes, food seals, and various beverages. Authorities confirmed the connection between the purchased chainsaw and the murder through store records and the serial number on the weapon.
While investigating the case, the police identified two German women, 54-year-old Petra Christl Grundgreif and 52-year-old Nicole Frevel, as additional suspects. It was revealed that Frevel, who is physically handicapped, had rented the house where the victim’s body was found.
As the investigation progresses, the police have expanded the allegations against the landlord, charging them with moving and concealing the corpse. The modus operandi of the criminal group involves freezing the bodies and subsequently dismembering them, although traces of blood were found during the dismemberment process.
Seeking to ensure effective cooperation and information exchange, the police have invited the German embassy in Thailand to coordinate their efforts. The embassy has expressed appreciation for the work carried out by the Thai authorities in safeguarding the lives of the victim’s wife and children. The German embassy possesses valuable information regarding these criminal groups, and collaboration between the two countries is expected to yield fruitful results in the weeks to come as investigations progress.
