Police in Chonburi are questioning two suspects over five deaths linked to two separate cases, while officers continue searching for two alleged accomplices in the killing of a Thai family.
The investigation widened after the bodies of two Russian siblings—22-year-old Diana Nazimova and her 17-year-old brother, Roman Nazimova—were found buried together in woodland in Huai Yai subdistrict.
Pol Lt Gen Chatchai Surachetphong, commissioner of Provincial Police Region 2, said several details provided by the suspects were consistent with physical evidence and the broader findings of the investigation.
Authorities believe four people were involved across the two cases. Two suspects, known as Pong and Thong, are being questioned, while police are pursuing two others believed to remain in the area.
Russian Siblings Allegedly Killed for Motorcycle
According to Thong’s account, he and Pong encountered the Russian siblings while they were stopped beside a road.
The pair allegedly posed as police officers conducting a search before restraining the victims and taking them to a secluded wooded area. Investigators believe the siblings were targeted so the suspects could steal their motorcycle.
Preliminary examinations indicated that Roman had suffered gunshot wounds, while Diana showed signs of physical assault. Police said there was no initial evidence that she had been sexually assaulted.
The stolen motorcycle was allegedly hidden before being dismantled. Investigators were told that the suspects attempted to sell some of its parts but later buried them after growing public attention surrounding the siblings’ disappearance.
The two men have reportedly provided conflicting accounts of the violence. Thong accused Pong of playing the leading role in the killings, while Pong allegedly claimed that Roman resisted and that Diana died during a struggle.
Police said both accounts remain unproven and are being examined alongside forensic evidence.
Suspects Linked to Deaths of Thai Family
Information obtained during questioning also linked the suspects to the earlier disappearance of a Thai couple and their 18-year-old daughter in June.
Wichian, 53, his wife Chantana, 50, and their daughter Nichapha, 18, were reported missing to Huai Yai police on June 27 after relatives were unable to contact them.
Their bodies were later discovered buried in a coconut plantation near the woodland where the Russian siblings were found.
Thong reportedly told investigators that he, Pong, Ball and another associate went to the family’s home late at night while posing as police officers.
The group allegedly restrained the parents and detained Nichapha when she returned from a convenience store. All three victims were then taken away in the family’s pickup truck.
According to statements given to investigators, the family was killed before their vehicle and mobile phones were stolen.
Police were also told that the pickup truck was intended to be used to transport illegal drugs, although the claim has not been independently confirmed.
Pong reportedly admitted being involved and identified Ball and a man known as Fluke as the other alleged participants. Police have not said whether the two suspects still being sought have been formally charged.
Police said Pong, who is considered the principal suspect, had been released from prison approximately two months before the investigation began.
Officers are now reviewing his criminal history and examining whether the group may have been involved in other offences following the discovery of five victims across the two cases.
Thong reportedly claimed that he participated under duress because he feared Pong would harm his family.
Investigators are continuing to compare the suspects’ statements with forensic results and other evidence as the search for the remaining two alleged accomplices continues.
