Death in paradise
A Swiss woman was found dead in Thailand. The Swiss police attaché stationed in Bangkok quickly arrived at the scene. fedpol ensured international police cooperation efforts and assisted in the investigation.
It was the middle of the night in Thailand when the news reached fedpol’s Operations and Alarm Centre: a woman had been found dead near a waterfall on the island of Phuket. The Swiss solo traveller had been vacationing in Thailand.
The Thai police had barely begun their investigation when local media published the victim’s name. The search for her killer was on. It was a race against time. The woman’s family had not yet been informed of her death.
fedpol sent its police attaché stationed in Bangkok to Phuket. He would play a key role in the investigation of this case.
fedpol worldwide
Today, criminals think and act globally. To be able to keep its finger on the pulse of serious crime at the international level, fedpol works with 18 Swiss police attachés stationed abroad. Together, they cover 24 countries and cooperate with Europol, Interpol and Schengen working groups in Brussels. This network of police attachés ensures international cooperation and exchange of information, and establishes a reliable network for police.
At the time, the cause of death was not yet known. The Cantonal Police of Bern deployed a care team to support the victim’s family, which has a right to transparent communication. fedpol provided assistance.
Results in real time
The body was autopsied at a local hospital. A DNA profile was created. By this time, the Thai police had obtained the woman’s personal effects. Meanwhile in Switzerland, ante mortem data (DNA and dental records) were being compiled to positively identify the victim.
In the meantime, fedpol’s mission organisation had mobilised all of the relevant partners in a bid to ensure information equality. The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG), the Federal Intelligence Service (FIS), the Cantonal Police of Bern, the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), the Swiss embassy in Bangkok and the FDFA’s Consular Protection systematically exchanged information and clarified roles and competencies.
The police attaché attended the crime scene inspection and the investigators’ meetings. This made it possible for him to clarify all tactical and technical questions immediately. He forwarded documents, photos and the latest investigation results to Bern in real time. The attaché was in constant contact with the Swiss embassy in Bangkok and with Consular Protection authorities. Finally, he supported the victim’s family when they arrived in Thailand, and helped repatriate the deceased woman to Switzerland.
Top teams at work
This was a big case for Thailand. The Prime Minister of the pandemic-stricken country promised to give his full support to the investigation. The country’s image as a popular vacation destination was on the line. The best investigators and experts were assigned to the case; enormous effort was put in. In the end, it was all worth it.
Only two days after the discovery of the body, a suspect was arrested. The young Thai man confessed to the crime.
Once the most critical questions had been clarified, the police attaché finally returned to Bangkok.
Mission accomplished.