Thai arrest warrant issued for 2 Japanese in murder of compatriot

Friday 22nd August, 06:34 AM JST

BANGKOK —

A Thai court on Thursday approved an arrest warrant for two Japanese men accused of murdering a compatriot in Thailand earlier this month, Thai police said. Police said Hirotoshi Mori, 30, from Aichi Prefecture, and Takeshi Urakami, 31, from Osaka Prefecture are no longer in Thailand so it is hoped Japanese police can arrest the pair in Japan. They are suspects in the murder of Takahide Tanahashi, 33, author of a Japanese-language book on how to enjoy the easy life overseas.

Tanahashi went missing from his Bangkok apartment on Aug. 5 and his naked body was found Aug. 9 dumped on the roadside in the woods of a national park in the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima, according to police. Forensic experts are still working on DNA examination of the body but the arrest warrant was issued based on the confirmation by Tanahashi’s friends that the body found is his. Police suspect Tanahashi was killed by his Japanese acquaintances because of personal conflicts related to money and online activities such as foreign exchange transactions. From closed-circuit television in the apartment where Tanahashi lived, police learned that he left his room in the morning of Aug. 5 and that not long after he left, a man wearing a cap and gloves entered his room. Police have identified the man as Mori. ‘‘The man went into the room for about 10 minutes and left with a backpack. Two computer notebooks were also missing from the room. There must be some data in the notebooks the culprits wanted to obtain and it might relate to some kinds of online transaction,’’ Pol. Maj. Gen. Suchart Muenkaew, a deputy head of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, told a press conference Monday. ‘‘They must have known each other well,’’ he added.

Kyodo

9 Comments

Sidwarwick at 07:58 AM JST - 22nd August

I don't think I'll be reading *his *book about how to enjoy an easy life abroad.
desmosedici at 10:25 AM JST - 22nd August

Don't know why the Thai authorities have issued warranties for the arrest of these two Japanese fellows, since Japan and Thailand don't have an extradition treaty anyway and Japan has already indicated it won't extradite these two to Thailand, who are already back in Japan. Since the murdered person is also Japanese, they will hopefully, if guilty, get what's coming to them.
AlliedForces at 10:30 AM JST - 22nd August

Why oh why are Japanese becoming so dangerous. While the rest of the first world, especially the USA, becomes safer each year, Japanese go on murdeous sprees worlwide.

What is wrong with these guys? Japan doesn`t wish to extradite its citizens, even if they committed terrible crimes.
studebaker at 10:46 AM JST - 22nd August

Read the book "The Damage Done" by Warren Fellows, and you will understand why Japan doesn't want to send their citizens to a Thai prison. I wouldn't want to extradite them back to Thailand, but would rather see them punished in Japan. Thai prison is the worst form of hell.
AlliedForces at 11:04 AM JST - 22nd August

In the US the serious crime rate has fallen steadily, mainly due to more sensible (long) sentences for violent thugs.

Japan will have to start this same policy, their streets are getting very unsafe. A woman dare not walk alone at night in Japan, there is hidden danger everywhere. Japanese have lost their self control and rspect for others.
meanmutha at 11:15 AM JST - 22nd August

ill keep an eye out for em coppers. About my age, same city... I pass 100,000 dudes like that a day.
soldave at 12:21 PM JST - 22nd August

Where in Japan does a woman dare not walk alone at night?
thedeath at 01:34 PM JST - 22nd August

i think Tanahashi’s family might want J-gov to send this 2 people back to thailand! a year in thai jail could be worse than get the death penalty in japan!
franz75 at 01:48 PM JST - 22nd August

I bet my shirt that nothing will happen to the 2 guys.