The Kampot Provincial Court is holding three Chinese men on charges related to the August death of a South Korean national, who was kidnapped and tortured, allegedly after becoming involved in an online scam operation. The authorities identified two additional suspects and are currently conducting a manhunt.
Following recent reporting in South Korean media, the court prosecutor’s office released details of the case. Three men were charged with murder on August 11, just three days after the body of Park Minho, 22, was discovered, explained the statement.
The prosecutor’s office noted that a police patrol unit became suspicious of three Chinese men who had stopped their black pickup truck in Kampong Bay North village, Kampong Bay commune, Kampot town and province.
Officers searched the vehicle and discovered the body. They detained two of the men in the car, identified as Li Xingpeng, 35, and Zhu Renzhe, 43. The third suspect, identified as Pa Jia, approximately 35, fled the scene.
An autopsy was performed on the body, identified as Park Minho, and signs of torture were noted. The cause of death was ruled a heart attack, likely brought on by the stress of torture.
The authorities searched the shared accommodation of the suspects and their victim, in a villa located on Bokor Mountain. There, they arrested a third suspect, Liu Haoxing, 29, reportedly the supervisor of the victim, and discovered evidence of an online scam operation.
Another suspect, identified only as Hay, approximately 30, escaped during the raid.
The three suspects in custody have been charged with murder and conducting online fraud. The investigating judge has ordered them detained until their case comes to trial.
