One of the suspects in the underworld murder of an Indian gangster in Phuket has been captured in Canada and an application has been filed for his extradition to Thailand.
Prayuth Petchkhun, the deputy spokesman of the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), said on Monday Matthew Dupre was arrested in Edmonton, Alberta province, on Feb 20.
Mr Dupre was being held in detention by the Alberta Court, pending the court's decision on Thailand's extradition request.
Mr Prayuth said the OAG was working on bringing him back to stand trial.
Mr Dupree and an alleged accomplice face multiple counts in Thailand, including the premeditated murder of Jimi “Slice” Sandhu in the parking lot of his rented beachfront villa on Rawai beach in Muang district of Phuket about 10.30pm on Feb 4.
The two were identified from security camera recordings in and around the crime scene.
The OAG on Monday did not provide details of the two suspects. But Phuket police chief Pol Maj Gen Sermphan Sirikhong has said previously the two were Canadian nationals, aged 37, and they left the resort island on Feb 6.
The suspects were named in multiple media reports as Gene Karl Lahrkamp and Matthew Leandre Ovide Dupre.
Mr Prayuth confirmed on Monday that Mr Dupre left Phuket for Canada on Feb 6 and an arrest warrant was issued for him on Feb 11.
The Royal Thai Police Office contacted the OAG seeking his extradition four days later and the Alberta Court issued an arrest warrant for him on Feb 17, leading to his detention.
