Ex-Thai Navy Sergeant M Extradited After Assassination of Cambodian MP in Bangkok. Sergeant M, aka Ekkalak Paenoy, has confessed to the murder of former opposition MP Kim Limfa after being hired for ฿60,000. Cambodian police extradited him to Thailand. Police revealed accomplices in the chilling assassination.
Cambodian police handed over the suspect in the brutal slaying of a former MP and dual Canadian-French citizen in Bangkok last Tuesday. The transfer took place at the Aranyaprathet District crossing in Sa Kaeo Province. Metropolitan Police Bureau investigators have already questioned 41-year-old Ekkalak Paenoy, also known as Sergeant M. He tells a chilling tale: a mentor and benefactor had requested and paid ฿60,000 for the hit on Mr. Lim Kimfa, which was clinically carried out on Tuesday afternoon. Police have confirmed there were accomplices, including a 24-year-old spotter—a Cambodian who was on the bus shadowing the former Cambodian MP to his death in central Bangkok.
On Saturday, Cambodian authorities extradited the man wanted for the assassination of former Cambodian MP and opposition figure Kim Limfa.
The move comes following the arrest of the suspect in Cambodia in Battambang on Wednesday, January 8.
The wanted man, Ekkalak Paenoy, also known as Sergeant M, was taken into custody by Cambodian police and transferred to Phnom Penh. It is understood he was questioned there by Cambodian security services.
Thai and Cambodian officials expedite extradition of Sergeant M after swift arrest in Battambang
Following this, it is reported that Thai authorities at the highest level have been in discussions with the Cambodian government.
On Thursday, Minister of Justice Thawee Sodsong confirmed that Cambodia would extradite Mr. Ekkalak Paenoy in a matter of days. Previously, Cambodian officials had suggested it might take months, as they intended to prosecute him for illegal entry into the country.
The extradition of Sergeant M, or Mr. Ekkalak Paenoy, is a significant relief to the government in Bangkok. He was handed over to Metropolitan Police Bureau officers on Saturday afternoon at the Aranyaprathet District crossing in Sa Kaeo.
The 41-year-old suspect greeted officers at the crossing with a confession. “I confess to all charges and I accept my guilt. Certainly, I dared to do it, and I dare to accept it,” he informed them.
International coverage focuses on Kim Limfa’s assassination and allegations of Cambodian involvement
Over the past few days, the assassination of Mr. Lim Kimfa has generated international headlines, particularly in France and the United States.
In France, former Cambodian minister and opposition leader Sam Rainsy has insisted the murder was the work of the Cambodian government. Mr. Rainsy, who has revealed past assassination attempts on his own life, claimed to have collaborated with Mr. Lim to oppose what he termed the Cambodian dictatorship in Phnom Penh.
Meanwhile, coverage in New York has focused on the dissident Cambodian community in Bangkok. Especially in light of the recent extradition of seven Cambodian nationals from Thailand to that country, governed by a repressive regime.
Six of the seven, including an underage individual, have subsequently been charged with treason by a Cambodian court.
Cambodian refugees in Bangkok express fear following Kim Limfa’s assassination and recent extraditions
Over the weekend, The New York Times spoke with a Cambodian national registered as a refugee with the United Nations. Fifty-two-year-old Khem Monykosal fled Cambodia two years ago and spoke of his fears following the Thai government’s decision to expedite his compatriots’ repatriation, who were also registered with the United Nations.
He viewed the murder of Lim Kimfa as a message, a threat to the community opposing the Hun Sen regime. Mr. Khem told The New York Times he rarely ventures from his rented room in Bangkok.
“As an asylum-seeker in Thailand, I am very worried about my safety,” he claimed. “There are planned plots to kill.”
Thai police praised for their swift action and progress in the Kim Limfa murder investigation
Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Police Bureau in Bangkok is making substantial progress in the case. Firstly, the force is commended for pursuing and arresting the suspect in Cambodia within 24 hours of the assassination.
Similarly, the police have been open and forthright with the media about their inquiries. For instance, they explained how their investigation led them to the hours after the murder. The suspect had travelled east toward Cambodia through Chonburi and Chachoengsao.
On Tuesday night, National Police Chief General Kittirat Phanphet phoned his Cambodian counterpart to request that a Thai unit cross over in pursuit of Sergeant M.
Police reveal Sergeant M had accomplices, including a Cambodian spotter who escaped via Suvarnabhumi
Previously, Metropolitan Police Bureau sources revealed that Ekkalak Paenoy did not act alone. He had at least two accomplices. One, identified as Cambodian national Kimsrin Pich, has been subjected to an arrest warrant.
This 24-year-old suspect is believed to have been on the bus on Tuesday that transported the victim from Siem Reap in Cambodia to his death in Bangkok. It is alleged he provided Mr. Ekkalak with updates on the popular LINE application.
Following the murder, Mr. Kimsrin immediately left Thailand on a flight from Suvarnabhumi Airport. At this time, police have not revealed his destination, although it is assumed to be Cambodia.
Indeed, the investigation into this bold and brutal assassination now revolves around the origin of the gang that masterminded the killing.
Sergeant M’s statements reveal a benefactor’s involvement and payment for carrying out the killing
On Saturday, police questioned Sergeant M, or Mr. Ekkalak, once he was back in Bangkok. The investigation is being conducted at Chana Songkhram Police Station. The Superintendent there is Police Colonel Sanong Saengmani.
However, on Saturday, the Director of Metropolitan Police Bureau Division 1, Police Major General Atthaphon Wongsiriprida, led a briefing with reporters.
At length, he reported that Mr. Ekkalak was extremely nervous. Initially, he was unsure who he was talking to. He appeared to relax when treated with respect and when Thai police identified themselves.
He explained that he had been contacted shortly before the hit. The man who contacted him is believed to be central to the murder investigation. This individual had befriended Sergeant M last year.
Police discover Sergeant M’s financial struggles and connections to benefactor’s assassination orders
Previously, in August 2023, Mr. Ekkalak Paenoy, then attached to the Royal Thai Navy as a marine, had been dismissed. The charges against him included embezzlement. However, he told police on Saturday that he had been assisted at that time by a benefactor.
At length, this person gave him money and gold. In addition, he kept in contact and acted as a trusted confidant.
Therefore, before Tuesday’s murder, he was obligated to this individual. The man contacted him on LINE, asking for Mr. Lim Kimfa to be assassinated. When Mr. Ekkalak initially demurred, the man pressured him.
Finally, out of obligation and with the offer of a ฿60,000 fee, he accepted the assignment. A payment of ฿30,000 was transferred to his account. Sergeant M used these funds to redeem his firearm, which he had pawned to a police officer for ฿2,000. Thai Police later confirmed a second payment of ฿30,000 as deposited after the killing.
Police prepare crime reenactment as part of ongoing investigation into Kim Limfa assassination
Investigators are preparing to conduct a crime reenactment. A replacement perpetrator will be used with video phone guidance from the suspect. After that, the former Royal Thai Navy member, Mr. Ekkalak, will appear before Ratchada Criminal Court on Monday. It is expected that a further detention order will be made.
Hitman who gunned down former Cambodia MP in Bangkok arrested in Cambodia. Taken to Phnom Penh
Former Cambodian French opposition MP and a thorn in the side of the ruling party gunned down in Bangkok
Undoubtedly, the investigation being actively pursued by the Metropolitan Police Bureau will be avidly watched both within Thailand and abroad. This outrageous and callous murder cries out for retribution and justice.
The killing of a veteran and brave politician—a Cambodian-French man of distinction—while holidaying in Thailand for ฿60,000 sends a chilling message to the world.
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Further reading:
Hitman who gunned down former Cambodia MP in Bangkok arrested in Cambodia. Taken to Phnom Penh
Former Cambodian French opposition MP and thorn in the side of ruling party gunned down in Bangkok
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Thai woman’s claims that she was targeted for organ harvesting being probed in Cambodia by police
Cambodia’s recall of diplomatic passports linked to press reports of Yingluck’s Hong Kong dealings
Cambodian opposition will be denied entry into Thailand as it seeks to topple Hun Sen
