Police have launched a manhunt for a police station chief who allegedly killed a drug suspect.
Pol Col Thitisan Utthanaphon, formerly the superintendent of a police station in Nakhon Sawan and known to his colleagues as "Jo Ferrari", disappeared three days ago before a video clip of him committing torture and trying to extort money from the suspect was released on social media on Tuesday.
The clip made headlines and prompted Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Tuesday to order the police to investigate the incident that reportedly led to the man's death by suffocation.
The dead suspect was on Wednesday identified as 24-year-old Chiraphong Thanaphiphat.
The seven police allegedly involved in Chiraphong's death have been dismissed from their positions and arrest warrants have been issued.
The suspects, five of whom have already been detained, now face charges including torture and murder.
On Tuesday a lawyer posted the clip on his Facebook page in which a police officer is seen putting a plastic bag over the head of a man (Chiraphong), who was wearing a yellow T-shirt.
The lawyer said he obtained the clip from a junior police officer who asked for his help in forwarding the clip to the national police chief.
On Wednesday, police began searching locations where Pol Col Thitisan might have been, including his luxury house in Kannayao district of Bangkok.
Found at the 60-million-baht house were 29 luxury cars worth more than 100 million baht in total, said a source.
