KOH PHANGAN — Police officers from Koh Phangan Police Station have arrested two Indian men suspected in the rape case of a German female tourist. Both suspects have given conflicting statements while officials are awaiting DNA test results from Koh Phangan Hospital.
A 24-year-old German tourist from Munich, identified only as Sarah, reported to Haad Rin Police Station at approximately 5:40 a.m. on March 14 that she was sexually assaulted by two foreign men on Koh Phangan island.
According to her statement, she was assaulted by two men, believed to be of Indian nationality, near some rocky outcroppings close to Paradise Bungalow in Moo 6, Ban Tai sub-district of Koh Phangan, Surat Thani province. The suspects fled the scene after the attack.
During the initial investigation, Sarah told police that she had traveled to the island to attend the Full Moon Party and was staying at a hotel in Bo Phut, Koh Samui.
Police Colonel Apichat Chansumret, Superintendent of Koh Phangan Police Station, immediately ordered officers to escort the victim to a hospital for medical examination. A team has been dispatched to the crime scene, with forensic experts collecting evidence from the area.
The investigation is being conducted as a joint effort between Koh Phangan Police, Region 8 Investigation Police, Tourist Police, and Immigration Police, who are actively working to track down the suspects.
Preliminary investigation of CCTV footage near the incident site has identified two persons of interest, while authorities continue to gather evidence and pursue all leads.
Later, police traced the suspects’ movements and found that the two men were staying at a bungalow in Moo 1, Koh Phangan sub-district. Officers then brought in Mr. Vijay, 47, an Indian national, and Mr. Rahul, 40, for questioning at Koh Phangan Police Station at 8.20 p.m.
Both men were traveling on tourist visas. During questioning, Vijay neither admitted nor denied the allegations, while Rahul gave inconsistent statements, claiming he was unsure and couldn’t remember. Police collected DNA samples from both suspects and sent them to Koh Phangan Hospital for testing.
Police Colonel Apichat, Superintendent of Koh Phangan Police Station, stated that officers are confident they have apprehended the correct suspects, as these two were the only individuals captured on CCTV footage during the time of the incident. Officials are now waiting for the DNA test results before filing formal charges and proceeding with the case.
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