The passport used by the main suspect in a recent kidnap-and-murder case when he fled to Thailand was annulled immediately after the Bureau of Consular Affairs was notified of the case, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.
The bureau annulled the passport used by Hsieh Yuan-hsin (謝源信) on Thursday last week, ministry spokeswoman Anna Kao (高安) said.
The nation’s representative office in Thailand will make every effort to work with related law enforcement agencies on the case as the investigation continues, Kao added.
Taiwan is seeking assistance from Thai authorities under an agreement on cooperation in fighting crime signed by the two countries early last year, a Taiwanese diplomat based in Bangkok said.
Hsieh fled to Thailand using the passport — obtained under his cousin’s name — on Monday last week after allegedly kidnapping Greater Taichung-based tycoon Shih Chia-chin (施家金) earlier that day.
The decomposing body of the 57-year-old businessman was found in the mountains in Greater Tainan on Sunday.
Shih was apparently kidnapped by Hsieh, who had worked for the victim as his chauffeur for more than four years, police said.
He was abducted on Aug. 18 after he was picked up by Hsieh at the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport upon his return from a trip to the US, they said.
Hsieh and his accomplices told Shih to tell his family to transfer NT$30 million (US$1 million) to a bank account designated by his kidnappers, they said.
The transfer was made, but after seeing no sign of Shih, the family called the police later that day for help.
The police found the vehicles used by the suspected kidnappers several days before finding Shih’s body in a remote area.
Two suspects in the businessman’s death were arrested on Monday by police in Pingtung and Yunlin counties.
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