Australian man held in Thailand accused of gruesome suitcase murder
An Australian man is being held in Thailand, accused of the gruesome murder of a teenager whose body was reportedly found inside a suitcase.
According to local news, the 46-year-old citizen was arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport on Friday while trying to leave the Asian country.
His arrest came after the body of a 17-year-old girl was found abandoned in a suitcase next to a railway line in Pattaya.
The teenager was last seen entering a hotel in the Gulf coast city at around 3.30am local time on Thursday morning.
CCTV released by Thai media outlet Buzzin Pattaya shows the teenager holding hands with a man believed to be an Australian who was arrested.
The man allegedly picked up the girl from Pattaya’s Beach Road in the early hours and her friends reported her missing on Friday.
It was later reported that the Australian was arrested late on Friday night while trying to board a flight at Bangkok airport.
At around 23:00 local time on Friday, the teenager’s naked body was allegedly found stuffed in a suitcase next to the railway line, about 10 minutes away from the hotel where he was last seen.
Thai police told Viral Press that the suspect was initially accused of “taking a minor child with the intention of committing an inappropriate act.”
“We think he killed her and he is being questioned on suspicion of murder,” Pattaya City Police Inspector Anek Sarathongyu told the media outlet.
A spokesman for the Australian authorities confirmed that government departments were aware of the incident.
“The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to an Australian detained in Thailand,” the statement said.
“Due to our confidentiality obligations we are unable to comment further.”
NewsWire contacted the Australian Federal Police, who did not comment.
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