Chaffeur arrested in Taiwan gambling murder case

A Taiwanese man believed to be involved in the kidnap and murder of his gambling entrepreneur boss, Shih Chia-chin last month (see previous report) has been arrested in Thailand, according to reports from the Agence France Presse news agency.

Hsieh Yuan-hsin (39) was Shih’s chauffeur and picked him up at an airport on his return from a business trip. Shih was never seen alive again, although demands for a substantial ransom were made to his company.

When part of the ransom was paid to a local bank, the chauffeur tried to collect the money but panicked and ran when asked for ID.

A week later the murdered body of Shih was found in a remote area, stabbed 20 times and dumped in a ditch.

Hsieh Yuan-hsin used a false passport to escape on a flight to Thailand, where he has since been found and arrested.

A spokesman for the Taiwan Criminal Investigation Bureau told AFP:

“The suspect is currently held in Bangkok and will be dispatched back to Taiwan after the Thai authorities complete their due legal procedure.”

Two other suspects have already been arrested in Taiwan for the kidnap and murder.