A man is accused of using Google Translate to help him dispose of the remains of his girlfriend after he brutally murdered her in a luxury apartment.
Ukranian model Alona Savchenko had checked into the Key Sathorn-Charoenraj condominium in Bangkok, Thailand, with partner Jan Jerzy Lagoda-Filippow on Saturday April 29.
Lagoda-Filippow, from Poland, owns an advertising business registered in London's Covent Garden and had been seen with Alona by the hotel's security team.
The 25-year-old businessman caught their attention again when he tried to leave the hotel on the morning of Monday, May 15, with his luggage, but no Alona.
Surachai Sabaibang, a 56-year-old taxi driver had been hired by Lagoda-Filippow, who asked him to take him to "any casino".
While in the car Lagoda-Filippow allegedly used the Google Translate app to ask his driver for help cutting up Alona's body before offering 1,500 baht (£35) for the task.
Mr Sabaibang called the hotel to tell them about the holidaymaker's erratic behaviour and his seemingly drunk appearance.
Staff checked the couple's room on the 32nd floor and were horrified to find Alona's dismembered body on the bed.
The young woman's face was covered in blood and her left hand had been cut off at the wrist as well as many other injuries.
Police found a blood-splattered 2ft long saw, bought from a nearby hardware store, lying close to her body.
They believe she had been dead for around a day before being discovered.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Pongpun Phonharn said: "The victim arrived at the condo with her boyfriend on April 29, but he left without her at around noon on May 15.
"He was likely trying to cross the border to Cambodia."
Officers contacted taxi driver Surachai for questioning following the grisly discovery.
The driver said: "I picked up the suspicious passenger, who told me through Google Translate that he wanted to play at a casino.
"When he could not find a suitable place to play, he then asked me through the app to help dismember his girlfriend's body for 1,500 baht."
Officers later obtained CCTV footage of the couple together at the hotel just days before Jan was spotted leaving alone.
They sent it to the immigration police.
With border officials on alert, the suspect was caught on Monday evening at the Aranyaprathet border checkpoint 135 miles away in Sa Kaeo province.
He was detained at the Wat Phraya Krai Police Station for interrogation while police informed the Polish Embassy of his arrest.
Investigations are ongoing.
