Metropolitan Police have arrested the masterminds of the ‘deadly herbal medicine cluster’, the two brothers S-Art, who mixed the hellish herbal medicine, after they fled and hid in a forest in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province. The suspects firmly denied the charges, claiming that they ‘made the formula themselves and humans can eat it.’
Police officers jointly investigated and arrested Mr. Surachai or Art, aged 43, and Mr. Surasak or S, aged 46, on the same arrest warrant: ‘jointly attempting to intentionally kill another person, jointly intentionally kill another person, jointly adulterating food, medicine, or other consumer products for another person to consume or use, and such adulteration is likely to cause harm to health, or selling or offering such products for another person to consume or use, causing serious harm to another person and causing death to another person, and jointly producing and selling alcohol without permission.’ They were arrested in Wang Noi District, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Pro
vince.
Following the tragic case of the ‘Deadly Herbal Pickling Cluster’ where patients have died one after another from drinking herbal pickling sold at a shop in Min Buri, the latest deaths have reached 6. The results of the scientific examination by the Excise Department found that the alcohol used contained ‘methanol’ and isopropyl alcohol (IPA). Pol. Lt. Gen. Thiti Sangsawang, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, ordered Pol. Maj. Gen. Kiattikun Sonthiner, Commander of the Metropolitan Police Division 3, to urgently investigate until they identified the ‘mixers of the herbal pickling’, which were the S-Art brothers. Most recently, the court approved arrest warrants for both of them on the serious charge of ‘jointly attempting to intentionally kill another person’ after the court issued arrest warrants. The two brothers who mixed the pickling fled from Bangkok to hide in other provinces. Pol. Maj. Gen. Thiradej Thamsuthee, Commander of the Metropolitan Police Bureau’s Crime Suppression Divisio
n, sent a team of Metropolitan Police investigators to chase them all the way to Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya. By joining forces between the Metropolitan Police Investigation Unit, the Investigation Unit of Region 1, and the Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Provincial Police, more than 50 people searched the area until they got a clue about the hideout of the two brothers. After getting the clue, the investigation unit went in to investigate and was finally able to arrest them.
During the arrest, both brothers continued to deny all charges, claiming that ‘the raw materials that the two brothers sold to Ms. Pu were 95% ethyl alcohol mixed with drinking water in a specific ratio that the two brothers invented. Both Mr. Surasak and Mr. Surachai insisted on the quality of the 95% ethyl alcohol that they used as ingredients, saying that it was an ingredient that was in the standard for use in the food industry and that humans could eat it. The two brothers had nothing to do with the incident in any way. They also stated that
they were not aware of or involved in any of Ms. Pu’s actions. The two were only producers of raw materials and sold them to Ms. Pu at wholesale prices.’ After the arrest, the suspects were taken to the Min Buri Police Station for further legal action.
Source: Thai News Agency