Trader killed on doorstep

Written by Writer on Tuesday, October 28th, 2008

Trader killed on doorstep

NARATHIWAT A wood trader was shot dead at his rented house in Sungai Kolok district in early hours of yesterday morning, local police said.

The dead man was identified as Chokchai Athorn, 37, who ran an aromatic wood business.

Police said Chokchai arrived home from town and was opening a door to the house when an unidentified gunmen lying in wait sprang up and opened fire on him at close range.

Chokchai was shot in the head and back. He died instantly.

The motive for the shooting was either a conflict in the wood business or the work of an insurgent group, police said.

Also in Narathiwat, an M16 assault rifle and 25 bullets were retrieved during a search operation on a mountain in Rangae district yesterday.

The search was mounted by a 60-strong combined unit of police and soldiers on a section of Mohtae mountain in tambon Chalerm following a tip-off that a group of unknown men had hidden weapons on the mountain.

The authorities found a freshly-buried mound of dirt in the woods. When they dug it up, they found a 200-litre plastic container. Inside, the rifle and bullets were wrapped in a plastic bag.

Bangkok Post
Tuesday October 28, 2008