Top Police Officers Wife Arrested Over 6 Cyanide Poisoning Cases

Central Investigation Bureau Police in central Thailand have arrested the wife of a high-ranking police officer in connection with the cyanide poisoning murder of a woman. Investigators also suspect her in the murders of six other women with cyanide.

The Central Investigation Bureau commissioner, Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop Bhuridej, named the suspect as Ms. Sararat “Aem” Rangsiwuthaporn. Her husbands identify was not released, although Thai news media reports he’s the deputy provincial police superintendent in Ratchaburi province.

Ms. Sararat was arrested by Crime Suppression Division (CSD) officers on Tuesday about 11 a.m. at the government office complex on Chaeng Wattana road in Bangkok, armed with an arrest warrant issued by the Criminal Court on April 25. She was in possession of a bottle of cyanide.

Siriporn “Koy” Khanwong, 32, of Kanchanaburi, was arrested after his mother and elder sister filed a complaint with the CSD.

On April 14, Ms Siriporn fainted and died on the banks of the Mae Klong river in Ban Pong district, where she had gone with friends to release fish for merit. Cyanide was discovered in her body.

Investigators suspected that Ms Sararat was the person who mixed cyanide into Siriporn’s food, causing her death. She is also accused of stealing the victim’s possessions. This resulted in her arrest. She was escorted to CSD headquarters for questioning following her detention.

According to Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop, the probe is being widened to see whether Ms. Sararat had any involvement in the deaths of six other women with whom she had contact and who also died from cyanide poisoning.

Six other cyanide poisoning cases

Ms. Kanika Tuladecharak’s death, which occurred at 11 p.m. on Tuesday, was brought to the notice of deputy police commander Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn by her father and daughter (names withheld). Ms. Sararat was blamed for Kanika’s death.

Kanika, according to her daughter, drove from Bangkok to Ratchaburi on September 11, 2022. Her mother then rode in the same car as Ms. Sararat. Kanika later fainted and died at a PTT petrol station in Potharam district, according to her daughter’s story.

She said that some of her mother’s belongings were vanished. They included a smartphone, cash and gold jewellery. Kanika’s family felt Ms. Sararat was to blame for her death.

The national police chief, Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapas, told reporters at the RTP headquarters that Pol Gen Surachate was in charge of the Siriporn inquiry. He stated that because there were six other comparable cases, the inquiry would be widened to determine whether all seven cases were done by the same person, given the most of them occurred in central Thailand’ Ratchaburi province.

According to Pol Gen Surachate, there were seven deaths that appeared to be connected, with the most recent being in the Ban Pong district. He’d figure out if and how the seven cases were linked. He went on to say that two of the seven people killed were police officers.

He stated that he had contacted the parents of five of the seven women in order to question them. Some parents were unaware their children had been poisoned and hence did not submit a police report.

Pol Gen Surachate stated that the seven incidences occurred in the provinces of Kanchanaburi, Nakhon Pathom, and Ratchaburi, and that he had previously requested that authorities investigate further and report to him.

Cyanide poisoning

When someone is exposed to excessive levels of cyanide, an extremely deadly chemical that can interfere with the body’s capacity to use oxygen, cyanide poisoning develops. Many industrial compounds, including some pesticides, contain cyanide, and it can also be generated as a byproduct of some production operations.

Headache, dizziness, disorientation, nausea, vomiting, rapid heartbeat, trouble breathing, seizures, and loss of consciousness are all symptoms of cyanide poisoning. Cyanide poisoning can be fatal if left untreated.

If you suspect someone has been exposed to cyanide, get medical attention right once. The appropriate course of action will depend on the severity of the exposure, however treatment may include oxygen therapy, antidotes such as hydroxocobalamin or sodium thiosulfate, or other supportive measures in some circumstances. To avoid major complications or death, prompt and adequate medical care is critical.