More Krabi massacre suspects arrested

Police inspect a site where a group of prospective rock millers planned their business in Ao Luk district of Krabi, on Saturday. A dispute over the mill is said to have led to the massacre of eight people early this week. (Royal Thai Police photo)

Police on Saturday arrested an unidentified number of people suspected of killing a village headman and his family in Krabi province on Monday night.

Pol Maj Gen Itthipol Achariyapradit, an investigative commander of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, said officers arrested more than one person suspected of the massacre and that interrogators were collecting information from them to reach other accomplices.

The execution-style shootings of village headman Worayuth Sanglang and seven other people, three of them children, took place at his home in Ao Luk district of Krabi. Three others were injured. The slayings happened after men dressed in military camouflage gear held those in the house hostage for eight hours.

The operator of a local rock-grinding mill was arrested on Friday for allegedly ordering the killings. Police at the time said they were looking for the gunmen, believed to be retired soldiers, some of whom worked as guards at local plantations and did debt collecting on the side.

Police plan to search places related to the suspects on Sunday and expect to elaborate on the arrest then, Pol Maj Gen Itthipol said.

A source said that the suspects were detained at a military camp in Khlong Thom district of Krabi.

Earlier reports said that the village headman had a conflict with local businessmen who were unable to establish a rock-grinding mill in the community because of opposition from local residents.

Police sources said detectives believed Mr Worayuth had been paid to persuade residents to drop their opposition, and that when his efforts failed, the order went out to get the money back.