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Two Americans arrested after dismembered body found in Bangkok freezer

They were caught in possession of multiple passports, a cache of drugs and three guns.

THAI POLICE SAY that two men accused of hiding a dismembered body in a Bangkok house freezer and running a fake passport ring are Americans.

The pair were arrested last week along with a third suspect who allegedly opened fire on police during a raid on the shophouse they used as a crime den in the Thai capital.

They were caught in possession of multiple passports, a cache of drugs and three guns. A search of a padlocked freezer found the body of a foreigner chopped into six pieces.

“We confirm two of them are Americans,” said Bangkok’s police chief Sanit Mahathavorn, after several days of liasing with US authorities to identify the men.

Sanit declined to name the men.

The case has gripped the Thai public with its gruesome nature and suggestions of foreign-run crime networks operating in the heart of the capital.

“Peter”

Yet police are still trying to gather firm details including the nationality of the third suspect, named by officers as “Peter”, who reportedly shot and injured a policeman during the raid.

“Peter has ten passports. We cannot yet identify his nationality,” said Sanit, adding that police are searching for his Thai wife for more clues.

Forensic officers have yet to identify the man inside the freezer and say it is still unclear how he died and whether he was dismembered before or after death.

The three men have been charged with multiple offences, including concealing a body, forging official documents and attempting to kill an officer on duty.

Police said they denied the charges and have told officers the freezer belonged to someone else.

Foreign criminals and fugitives have long sought out Thailand as a hub for running syndicates involved in everything from gem thefts to people-smuggling and contract killing.

A thriving fake documents trade has helped shield countless criminals from authorities, with local police notorious for accepting bribes to look the other way.

In February a Spanish man was arrested for allegedly extorting and murdering a compatriot in Bangkok and tossing his body parts into the city’s main river, where they were later discovered by police.

- © AFP, 2016

Read: Man in military gear who shot people at random in Texas was “a disgruntled lawyer”

Read: Sam Allardyce scandal: FA to investigate allegations against England manager

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    Mute Beachmaster
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    Sep 27th 2016, 11:56 AM

    James Douglas Eger, 66, and Aaron Thomas Gabel, 33, are the two Americans. It literally took seconds to find out their names.

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    Mute Al Ca
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    Sep 27th 2016, 12:03 PM

    @Beachmaster: Yeah…..but there’s more craic at the water cooler dispenser.

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    Mute Barra O Brien
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    Sep 27th 2016, 12:06 PM

    One night in Bangkok and the tough guys crumble.

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    Mute David Dickenson
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    Sep 27th 2016, 11:57 AM

    I did a few things in Bangkok but these guys take the biscuit. See them in 30 years.

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    Mute Paul Hughes
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    Sep 27th 2016, 12:08 PM

    They’ll have a lovely stay at the Bangkok Hilton

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    Mute Awkward Seal
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    Sep 27th 2016, 1:49 PM

    Tourists trying to recreate Hangover 2 and going too far. Bangkok has them now.

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    Mute Paddy
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    Sep 27th 2016, 2:26 PM

    And she’ll never let go.

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    Mute Rain-Shower
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    Sep 27th 2016, 1:16 PM

    They get their kicks above the waist line, sunshine.

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    Mute €uromancer
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    Sep 27th 2016, 3:04 PM

    The victim was a less than average father, but they wanted a cool pop.

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