A suspect in the high-profile ransom and murder of a Taiwanese tycoon has been arrested in Thailand, and police said they are waiting for him to be repatriated to continue their investigation.
Chauffeur Hsieh Yuan-hsin (謝源信) fled the country using a cousin’s passport on Aug. 18, the same day he is alleged to have kidnapped and killed his employer, Shih Chia-chin (施家金).
After being caught by Thai police on Wednesday, Hsieh said another two suspects apprehended by Taiwanese police had nothing to do with the murder.
Photo: CNA
The Criminal Investigation Bureau said yesterday it would wait for him to be returned home to learn more.
Police said Shih accumulated a massive fortune throughout his career, and Hsieh, who worked for Shih for about five years, was a trusted employee.
What police want to know is, if Hsieh worked alone in the alleged crimes, how he managed to kidnap and apparently murder his boss, visit a bank, and then flee the country all within a few hours.
Shih was allegedly picked up by Hsieh at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport upon returning from a trip to the US. However, rather than driving Shih home, Hsieh and two accomplices allegedly kidnapped him and demanded a ransom of NT$30 million (US$1 million).
The ransom was paid via a bank transfer, but the family called police when Shih was not returned.
Hsieh allegedly attempted to collect the money at a bank, but eventually gave up because he apparently thought he had been discovered.
The decomposing body of the 57-year-old Shih was found in mountains near Greater Tainan on Aug. 24. Police said he died from dozens of stab wounds.
Police found the body by tracking the movements of different vehicles allegedly used by Hsieh and his alleged accomplices.
The other suspects believed to be involved in the murder were arrested on Aug. 25 by police in Pingtung and Yunlin counties.
Thai immigration official Varavudh Thavichaigarn said that Hsieh was caught in the northern Thai city of Chiang Rai.
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