The arrest of a police inspector in Thailand is linked to staging a fatal traffic accident to collect 14 million baht in insurance payouts; several insurance companies and provincial police are investigating.

A tangled story involving insurance fraud and murder is unfolding in Sakonnakhon province in northeastern Thailand. A police inspector, Lt. Col. Nanmanas Phosri, has been arrested on suspicion of orchestrating a fatal traffic accident for the sake of a 14 million baht insurance payout.

The inspector, who is in charge of investigations at Wanon Niwat police station, reported to the station allegedly to surrender to authorities. However, an arrest warrant had already been issued for him, and investigators immediately took him into custody. The detention was the culmination of an investigation launched after representatives of several insurance companies contacted the police. They expressed suspicion of large insurance payouts related to the death of a local resident.

The tragedy that prompted the investigation occurred on February 10 on the Ban Nabua-Charoensil road in Wanon Niwat district. The three-vehicle collision resulted in the death of 32-year-old Vichian Jitien. Three drivers surrendered at the scene: 56-year-old Somsak Wobao, 41-year-old Phornchanok Onsurathum and 40-year-old Phiraphat Raksakun. They were initially charged with reckless driving causing death.

However, investigators from Wanon Niwat station and provincial police, after delving into the details of the accident, suspected that the accident was faked. After obtaining an arrest warrant from the Sawang Dan Din Provincial Court, they detained the three drivers and another man, Sakon (Meka) Sonkeu, 38, on charges of conspiracy to murder.

During interrogation, the detainees implicated a police lieutenant colonel, later identified as Nanmanas Phosri, in the crime. According to their testimony, he was the mastermind behind the criminal scheme to obtain the insurance payout. Sakonnakhon police chief Maj. Gen. Somjit Laomongkolnitmit said Nanmanas Phosri denies all charges.

Police are preparing to take the accused officer to the provincial court for remand. The provincial police chief said an order will be issued to suspend Nanmanas Phosri from duty pending an investigation. The trial promises to be complex and high-profile, given the involvement of a high-ranking law enforcement official.

The case is complicated by the fact that it is still unclear what role each of the participants in the criminal scheme played. Investigators have yet to find out exactly how the accident was staged, who the direct perpetrator was, and how the roles were distributed among the accomplices. It also establishes all the circumstances preceding the accident and the motives of each of the participants. This investigation has attracted particular public attention and has been widely discussed in Thai society.

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