PHUKET – Police have arrested a Colombian man suspected of killing a 24-year-old Iraqi national in Patong at around 3 am on Sunday at a homestay in tambon Sakhu, Thalang, as he was getting ready to leave Thailand.
The suspect was identified as Fernando Estaid Guevara Sanchez, 39, a Colombian national.
The victim, Ameer Mundher Mahmood, 24, was reportedly shot at close range while standing near a parked motorcycle opposite a hotel on Sirirat Road in tambon Patong, Kathu district, shortly before sunset on Saturday. He was taken to Patong Hospital, where he later died, police said.
A large search was launched involving Patong police, Phuket provincial investigators, and Region 8 police units, including special operations teams.
After police identified a suspect, they learned he arrived in Phuket on 19 January and was due to fly out on Sunday on Qatar Airways flight QR843. Officers were sent to Phuket International Airport as part of the operation.
At about 2:30 am, investigators received information that the suspect had moved to an accommodation near the airport. Police located him there, identified themselves, and arrested him under a Phuket Provincial Court warrant.
He was taken into custody, confirmed his identity, and was later handed over to investigators at Patong police station.
Authorities said he faces charges including premeditated murder, illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition, and carrying a firearm in a public place without permission or a valid reason.
Police believe the suspect may have been hired from overseas to carry out the killing. They said the victim was reportedly linked to a dispute tied to illegal business activity, and the gun used was thought to have been supplied through contacts in central Thailand.
Investigators were continuing to question the suspect with help from a Spanish-speaking interpreter. Officials were also in contact with the Iraqi and Colombian embassies.
