Police say 31 people are being summoned to hear charges of alleged online purchases of cyanide for “wrongfully intended purposes”. Deputy national police chief, Surachate Hakparn, says Thai actress, Preechaya “Ice” Phongthananikorn, is among those to face charges.
This follows reports filed with the Crime Suppression Division by the Department of Industrial Works, which alleges that 31 people bought and sold cyanide illegally, in violation of the Hazardous Substances Act.
It follows the arrest of alleged serial killer, Sararat “Am” Rangsiwuthaporn, dubbed Cyanide Am by the media. She stands accused of killing 14 people by cyanide poisoning, and one attempted poisoning in which the victim survived.
The 15 crimes took place across 7 provinces – Nakhon Pathom, Samut Sakhon, Kanchanaburi, Phetchaburi, Ratchaburi, Udon Thani, and Mukdahan. As part of the investigation against Sararat, which has now concluded, police interviewed over 900 witnesses over the course of 3 months.
In total, she faces over 75 charges, which include premediated murder, attempted murder, theft causing death, and forgery. Her alleged crimes date back to 2015 and up to earlier this year.
It’s understood Preechaya bought cyanide from the same source that supplied Sararat. The actress has previously claimed she bought the poison to deter snakes and monitor lizards in her mother’s garden.
According to a Bangkok Post report, Surachate says the penalty for the illegal purchase of a chemical compound for wrongful use is up to 3 years’ imprisonment and/or a fine of up to 300,000 baht.
“Officers at the Crime Suppression Division will summon all 31 people to acknowledge their charges, and they will conduct a probe to determine whether officials from the DIW were involved in any misconduct.”
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
