Two Russians arrested over alleged killing of fellow Russian in Chon Buri

Thai police have arrested two Russian men on suspicion of murdering a fellow Russian and attempting to conceal evidence by burying the victim’s remains in a tapioca plantation in Chon Buri.

Police said Pattaya Court issued arrest warrants for Iaroslav Demidov, 35, and Dmitrii Maskalev, 38, in connection with the death of Mikhail Emelianov, 30, last month.

Complaint filed after mother lost contact

The case began after a complaint was filed at the Nong Prue police station by Emelianov’s mother, Olga Lazabenko, 51.

Through an interpreter, she told police she last received messages from her son on January 7. She said he told her he was travelling to meet the two suspects at their rented house in Nong Prue and warned that if she could not contact him two hours later, he might have been killed.

She added that she later received a message allegedly demanding $120,000, with claims her son owed money linked to a drug dispute.

Arrests made in Bangkok

Chon Buri police and tourist police arrested the two suspects at a hotel on Soi Sukhumvit 71 in Bangkok, police said.

CCTV trail led investigators to plantation

Police said they traced Emelianov’s movements to a house on Soi Pattanakarn 4 in Moo 10 village, Tambon Nong Plue, Bang Lamung district.

Investigators reviewed CCTV footage from the housing estate and said it showed the suspects repeatedly leaving the rented house between January 7 and 9 before checking out on January 10. Police said they then tracked the route to a nearby tapioca plantation, where they found the victim’s remains buried at several locations.

Police also searched the rented house and said forensic testing indicated traces consistent with blood in multiple areas. The two rented motorcycles were seized as evidence, and police said additional traces were found in storage compartments.

Alleged attempt to create an alibi

Investigators said the suspects also hired two Thai men to help “search and locate” their missing friend, which police believe was an attempt to create an alibi. Police said the two Thai men were willing to act as state witnesses.

Charges

Police said the suspects were charged with:

• jointly committing intentional homicide;
• concealing, moving, or destroying a body to conceal the death or the cause of death; and
• demanding ransom by unlawfully detaining another person, carried out in a cruel manner resulting in the victim’s death.